Podcast appearances and mentions of Tim Don

On Sunday, Mike Erre shared some new ways of looking at Jesus' parable of forgiveness. Kevin Dixon, Layla Shahmohammedi and Tim Timmons join Mike to go deeper on the subject: How much of God's forgiveness is personal versus communal? What if we don't feel like we need forgiveness? These plus more questions spurred from listeners. TIMESTAMPS1:04 Games People Play1:17 The Difference Between Kevin And Layla3:58 Tim Don't Give Us No Lip6:40 Enter Seth Erre, Stage Right11:30 Journey, Zombie Fortress14:04 Night of the Living Podcast Content - - - - -Have a question or comment for the NOW team? Join the conversation by texting us at +1 615 861 9503.

How do you come back from a career-threatening injury when giving up isn't an option? This week on The Runna Podcast, we're joined by Tim Don—a two-time Olympian, four-time World Champion, and the man who set the Ironman World Record in 2017 before a devastating accident changed his life.Days before the 2017 Ironman World Championships in Kona, Tim was hit by a truck while cycling, breaking his neck. Instead of surgery, he chose an extreme recovery method—the halo brace, a metal frame drilled into his skull—giving himself the best chance of returning to elite competition.We talked about:

Herkese merhabalar. Bugün üzerimize zaman zaman kabus gibi çöken "geç kalmışlık hissinden" ve Tim Don'un bu duyguyu haksız çıkaran türden bir "geri dönüş" hikayesinden bahsettim. Keyifli dinlemeler... Soru, görüş ve önerileriniz için: ahmetziyaakinn@gmail.com

On the ground in KONA discussions with, Luke McKenzie, Tim Don & Sam Appleton. Reedy and Clint talk:race predictions at the start of the mara in KONA (00.00.45).post-race summary (00.02.20).Post Race chat with Sam Appleton (00.08.30). Post Race chat with Luke McKenzie (00.14:45). Post Race chat with Tim Don (00.18.10). Aid StationThis episode of Triathlon Therapy Podcast is sponsored by Aid Station. As an athlete-owned and operated online store, Aid Station understands the role that good nutrition plays in peak performance. They've gathered the world's best sports nutrition products under one website so you can spend less time stressing about your fuel and more time getting outside. Stocking over 1,000 products from 80+ brands, including energy gels, chews, hydration, running socks, hats, and recovery products - anything that aids your performance. Take your triathlon journey to the next level and download Aid Station App or visit Fuelling Performance - Nutrition is the 1st discipline | Aid StationNerd BeltsNerd Belts wants to ensure you smash your next race with the best hydration belt in the game. Owner and king nerd Steve McKenna recently won Ironman NZ wearing his trusty race nutrition belt and many other pros around the world are jumping on board. There is no better way to stay hydrated and fueled during training and on race day. Aid Station are a huge nerd supporter and stock all your nerdy needs or head to nerd beltsFollow us at:Insta: @triathlon_therapy_podcastTiktok: @triathlontherapypodcast

Tim Don and Joe Gambles chat all things triathlon including:- Tim Don & Joe Gambles (00.00.35).- Tim Don's upbringing (00.03.30).- Pro licensing (00.09.00).- Race fuelling and weight (00.17.40).- USA (00.25.00).- Long course (00.27.00).- Coaching by Julie Dibens (00.30.00).- Tim Don's world record time (00.36.40).- Potentially career ending crash (00.38.05).- Last trip to the island (00.44.00).- Supertri (00.45.30).First Home Specialists owned by former triathlon pro Leigh Anderson Voigt is powering this episode. All listeners can get his book for free which is an easy read on how to best enter the property market today. With the housing crisis making buying a home more difficult and expensive than ever, its people like Leigh who can help you buy your first home or break into the market where you think you might not be able to. Check out Leigh and First Home Specialists on their insta page @leighandersonvoigtNERD BELTS has powered this episode and wants to ensure you smash your next race with the best hydration belt in the game. Steve just won Ironman NZ and took 2nd at Long Course World champs wearing his trusty race nutrition belt and many other pros around the world are jumping on board. There is no better way to stay hydrated and fueled during training and in a race, so get your belt today at the following link (nerd belts | Hydration and Fuel Running Belts)RPG Coaching is one of the best coaching crew in triathlon. Check out their new website and the various membership offerings at a variety of competitive prices – www.rpgcoaching.comFollow us at:Insta: @triathlon_therapy_podcastTiktok: @triathlontherapypodcast

Ok Here me out, Breakfast Food should only be ate during Breakfast hours of the day. - Kyle Do you agree of disagree? Argue with Kyle in the comments. also Tim Don't listen to the episodes because we talking about Black Wukong again. https://mylinks.ai/allpoints https://www.patreon.com/allpointspodcast/collections

A look under the hood and what is going on with Supertri. Their ambitious goals to make short course racing mainstream! Kyle sat down with Parker Spencer, Non Stanford and Tim Don. Stay for the end for the post race interviews if you missed those on our instagram.  Watch Supertri Chicagohttps://www.youtube.com/live/ko07siy9Ayk?si=l1YxONLl1Hihet4t Get 20% off with Code: PTN at checkout; DM us your order # for your TelyRX kitshttps://telyrx.com/PTNJoin waterfall racing teamhttps://www.waterfallracing.com/Open waterfall bank accounthttps://www.waterfallbank.com/Disclaimer: The contents and opinions expressed on this podcast are ultimately exaggerated (often wildly) for comedic effect. All opinions presented are for entertainment purposes only. Any statements seeming to refer to any specific person, place, institution, or event are probably not about it or you and almost impossible to prove legally, anyway. It might be you, but probably not and nobody really cares. Especially you, Will. It's not always about you

The HeyCreator Show is presented by Riverside — ⁠get 15% off a new subscription by using code HEYCREATOR at checkout.⁠ In today's episode of The HeyCreator Show, Matt Ragland (⁠@mattragland⁠) and Tim Forkin (⁠@timforkindotcom⁠) give out their best advice for new creators. Tim lays out the lessons young creators need to learn in order to grow, while Matt speaks to established professionals looking to become side-hustle creators. (0:00) — Presented by Riverside (6:06) — Tim: Can you get past your immediate circle? (12:25) — Matt: Pick one topic, one platform, for one audience (16:40) — Tim: Don't be an expert or idol when you aren't (22:43) — Matt: Are you making content for fun, or are you building a business? (27:30) — Tim: Real artists don't starve (30:51) — Matt: What long-term project can you build alongside your content? Join the HeyCreator CommunityUse Automatic Evergreen to send profitable newsletters on autopilot

Join Will McCloy, Macca and Tim Don as they go over the 2023 Championship Series after a thrilling finale in NEOM.

Manu Garcia,  the race director of Infinitri 515, is my guest in this episode which was released early to coincide with race days of the 2023 version – October 19 - 21st.Being a triathlete himself, he decided to use his Masters in Event Planning and love of the sport to create his own career.  His company, Infinitri Sports, puts on various races throughout the year on the Mediterranean coast of Spain. Manu shares his thoughts on organizing intimate sized Ultraman distance races versus other larger triathlon events his company does and gives us a rundown on his event.You can follow the athletes participating in the 2023 Infinitri 515 here.Live GPS tracking : https://live.traky365.com/infinitriman-2023. Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/infinitrisportsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/infinitrisportsWebsite : https://infinitri.esResources mentioned in this episode:Ultra TriFest CanadaUltra 515 World Wide ChampionshipsPTOInfinitri 113 Triathlon PeñíscolaInfinitri Sprint Vila-realInfinitri Triathlon Festival Infinitri Half Ultraman and 515Infinitri 226 Triathlon PeñíscolaUMUKSwedemanIronman World Championships Hawaii Alpe d'HuezIM LanzaroteChallenge RothIM Copenhagen IM CozumelIM NiceIM HamburgShout outs and mentions in this episode:Tim DonAshleigh GentlePierre Le CorreJosh AmbergerIvan Raña FuentesJosef AjramMikel Otaegi IrastorzaJuan Garcia Paula MiottaCarolina Granfors___________________________________________________________Show Contributors:Host : Larry Ryan Contributing Raconteur : Steve KingAnnouncer : Mary Jo DionneProduction : 5Five EnterprisesMusic  :  Run by 331___________________________________________________________For show notes and past guests, please visit the Podcast Website: https://515theultrapodcast.buzzsprout.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/515TheUltraPodcastInsta : 515theultrapodcastEmail : 515Ultraman@gmail.com

Sit down with Will McCloy, Tim Don and Warriors team manager Nick Chase as they go over the action at SLT Malibu and look ahead to the series grand final in NEOM. Follow for more pro action

AI's impact on athletes and coaches, Greg LeMond on Doping and Triathlon, Race Report on Lake Placid, WTCS Sunderland this weekend. We'll save PTO US Open for next week.   Show Sponsor: UCAN Generation UCAN has a full line of nutrition products powered by LIVESTEADY to fuel your sport.   LIVSTEADY was purposefully designed to work with your body, delivering long-lasting energy you can feel. LIVSTEADY's unique time-release profile allows your body to access energy consistently throughout the day, unlocking your natural ability to stay focused and calm while providing the fuel you need to meet your daily challenges.   Use UCAN in your training and racing to fuel the healthy way, finish stronger and recover more quickly!  Use the code 303UCAN for 20% off at ucan.co/discount/303UCAN/ or ucan.co   In Today's Show Endurance News - Mark Allen's Response to Tim Don, Greg LeMond on Triathlon and Doping, IM Lake Place Results; WTCS Sunderland and who to watch What's new in the 303 - S. HS MTB Team Video of the Week - Sam Long on Breakfast with Bob   Endurance News: Mark Allen responds to Tim Don with open letter after being told ‘the game has moved on'   Greg LeMond on What Triathlon Can Learn from Cycling's Doping Mistakes   https://303cycling.com/usa-triathlon-compete-clean-campaign-launched-to-expand-anti-doping-efforts/   Joe Skipper (GBR) And Alice Alberts (USA) Claim Victories at the 2023 IRONMAN Lake Placid Triathlon   WTCS Sunderland 2023: Start time and how to watch live as Beaugrand chases back-to-back wins     What's New in the 303: Meet the South High School Mountain Bike Team By Kate Agathon of Campus Cycles     Video of the Week: Sam Long: Breakfast with Bob 2023

Welcome to Episode #391 of the 303 Endurance Podcast. We're your hosts Coach Rich Soares and 303 Chief Editor, Bill Plock. Thanks for joining us for another week of endurance news, coaching tips and discussion.   This weekend is IRONMAN Boulder 70.3! Who's racing and what to expect.   Show Sponsor: UCAN Generation UCAN has a full line of nutrition products powered by LIVESTEADY to fuel your sport.   LIVSTEADY was purposefully designed to work with your body, delivering long-lasting energy you can feel. LIVSTEADY's unique time-release profile allows your body to access energy consistently throughout the day, unlocking your natural ability to stay focused and calm while providing the fuel you need to meet your daily challenges.   Use UCAN in your training and racing to fuel the healthy way, finish stronger and recover more quickly!  Use the code 303UCAN for 20% off at ucan.co/discount/303UCAN/ or ucan.co   In Today's Show Endurance News - IM Hamburg Tragedy, CFO Mike Reilly Top 10 What's new in the 303 - Boulder 70.3 Preview, Bill's new bike/power/mixed terrain, Unbound Video of the Week - Body surfing   Endurance News: What Happened in The Fatal Crash At Ironman Hamburg: A Firsthand Account, Context, and Expert Insight JUNE 5, 2023 TIM HEMING   Following Sunday's tragic events at Ironman Hamburg, where a motorcycle driver carrying an official race photographer was killed and a participant has been hospitalized, Triathlete has spoken to individuals who were on site and familiar with the race, as well as an expert in motorbike logistics for mass sporting events to help provide insight.   Occurring at roughly mile 22 on the bike course, a section where participants are cycling in both directions, the 70-year-old motorcycle driver carrying a cameraman, collided with a 26-year-old racer, according to an AP news report.   “The race participant and the photographer received onsite care, before being transported to a nearby hospital where they continue to receive treatment,” said a statement from Ironman. The driver died on the scene.   German broadcaster ARD ended its live broadcast of the event upon learning of the fatality, and racers were rerouted around the accident site while racing continued.   A firsthand account We spoke to pro triathlete Kristian Hogenhaug, who was within meters of the crash, Australian pro Renee Kiley, who raced on the same course last year, triathlon statistician and Triathlete contributor Thorsten Radde, who was on-site working for German television, and veteran cameraman/motorcycle driver Paul Phillips, who ran Ironman's motorbike driving operations in North America up until last month.   Emotions are still raw for Denmark's Hogenhaug, who was directly across the highway when the accident happened, with part of the debris punching a hole in his disc wheel. “I heard a huge crash and everything was in slow motion,” he explained. “I thought maybe a motorbike had punctured and then half-a-second later a tri bike flew in the air and landed almost in front of me, but I didn't see the persons involved.”   The Team BMC rider was approaching the end of the out-and-back section on the first of two laps on the 112-mile bike route, when a motorbike collided head-on with an age-group cyclist heading in the opposite direction.   Mike Reilly Interview on TriDot Podcast CMO. If there's a word or phrase in the app to get your butt out of bed or get to the finish line. 214 Ironman Races   Top 5 of 10 Remember your why Control your attitude Have Run / cheer someone else on Don't take it too seriously Never be disappointed with a finish   What's New in the 303: IRONMAN 70.3 Boulder 2023: Start time, watch live and preview By Tomos Land   Racing resumes in North America this weekend, as the multi-sport mecca of Boulder hosts the 21st edition of IRONMAN 70.3 Boulder.   A star-studded entry in both the men and women's fields will compete at breathtaking elevation of close to 1,600m, with home favorite Sam Long amongst a number of athletes on the start line that will be hoping to do well at altitude.   In our preview piece below, you can find all the information you need, including start times, streaming information and a full preview of the men and women's professional fields.   Start time and how to watch live The race takes place on Saturday June 10 2023, starting from the Boulder Reservoir at 0705 (MDT) on Saturday morning for the men, with the women five minutes later. That corresponds to 1405 in the UK and 1505 CET.   The race will be shown live, one of the 12 IRONMAN 70.3 events to be broadcast in 2023 on Outside TV. You will be able to watch for free via web, mobile or connected TV app.   As always, the ever reliable IRONMAN Tracker is the perfect data addition to support your viewing. If you haven't got it on your phone already, where have you been?!   Pro Men With 55 professional men on the start list, the men's field in Boulder not only boasts quality, but also a whole lot of quantity, with a massive American contingent racing on home soil in Colorado this weekend.   Sam Long wins IRONMAN 70.3 St George 2023 photo credit Jacob Kupferman / Getty Images for IRONMAN [Photo credit: Jacob Kupferman / Getty Images for IRONMAN] Leading the list is Boulder native Sam Long, who having won this race in 2021 and winning his last two half distance events, seems to be the man to beat on Saturday.   The American has raced well against strong domestic fields since splitting with short term coach Dr Dan Plews, beating long time rival Lionel Sanders and rising American star Trevor Foley, both of whom are competing in Boulder, at IRONMAN 70.3 St George and IRONMAN 70.3 Gulf Coast in recent weeks.   Training partners Foley and Sanders will hope to turn the tide on Long in Boulder, but will face an uphill battle, as the PTO World #6 looks to be coming into some strong form, and will undoubtedly want to be on top form in what could be considered a “home” race.   Elsewhere, Canadian Olympian Matthew Sharpe, the defending champion, will certainly be in contention for the podium, with American veteran Tim O'Donnell and young Mexican star Tomas Rodriguez also strong shouts for a top-3 finish. In truth, Long looks at the moment to be head and shoulders above the rest, with Sanders the most likely to challenge him if he can find the type of form that has eluded him for much of this season so far. The battle for the podium will be especially intense and the chances of the IRONMAN 70.3 World Champs slots rolling a long way down are high given the quality up front.   Pro Women In the women's race, Britain's Holly Lawrence is the strong favourite, but will have a resurgent Jeanni Metzler to contend with, as both Boulder-based athletes look to take another step forward as they push for bigger goals later in the year.   Lawrence has raced well so far this season, with fourth in Oceanside and a top-10 in Ibiza, but is yet to have things really click for her on race day. Boulder could be the perfect opportunity to hone her race day skills and boost her confidence as she builds towards the PTO US Open in Milwaukee in August.   Metzler, on the other hand, has had a little more success this season, with a win in St George and a podium in Chattanooga, but hasn't been able to face off against a top-10 calibre athlete aside from a dominant Paula Findlay in Tennessee, and will likely relish the chance to do so against Lawrence in Colorado.   Lauren Brandon leads the Americans on world ranking in Boulder, but all eyes are likely to be on Taylor Knibb, who after a significant period of time out with injury, will race her first half distance race since winning the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship title last October.   Ironman 70.3 Boulder Recent Winners 2022 – Matthew Sharpe and Rachel McBride. 2021 – Sam Long and Emma Pallant-Browne. 2019 – Chris Leiferman and Skye Moench. 2018 – Callum Millward and Ellie Salthouse. 2017 – Tim Don and Jeanni Seymour. Prize Money: What's on the line? The prize purse on offer this weekend is $50,000 – with each of the winners collecting a $7,500 share of that total.   In addition to money, there will be a total of four qualifying slots (two MPRO / two FPRO) for the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in Lahti, Finland this summer.   The total funds will be paid eight-deep, as follows: $7,500 $5,000 $3,750 $3,000 $2,000 $1,500 $1,250 $1,000   My Volunteer Gigs:  Info Tent: Friday, Jun 9th 2:00 PM - 5:00 PM  Transition Crew 1st Shift: Saturday, Jun 10th 4:15 AM - 9:00 AM   Video of the Week: Body Surfing   Closing: Thanks again for listening in this week.  Please be sure to follow us @303endurance and of course go to iTunes and give us a rating and a comment.  We'd really appreciate it! Stay tuned, train informed, and enjoy the endurance journey!

Join Will McCloy, Tim Don and Annie Emerson for the latest episode of the Short Chute Show! The team cover all the breaking news in the world of Triathlon and look out for an exclusive clip of our latest 'Face To Face' episode with Lauren Steadman! They also look at the what is happening in the world of Triathlon social media and its Annie's Turn for the 60 second soapbox! Watch on YouTube! - https://youtu.be/az7jkoN_6uY

Tim Sweet welcomes Rita Ernst, Positivity Influencer and Consultant, back to the show to discuss the differences between generational education and how school focus has shifted from individualism to teamwork. How does that shift translate into business preparedness? In talking about this, Tim and Rita address the fundamental occupational processes they both respect and the order in which necessary change must be addressed.Rita explains how she experienced a shift from her own education to the education of her children, where schools her children went through very much encouraged collaboration and community. She and Tim examine conformity versus individuality and how systems function both through the more team-based approaches of the modern day versus the more solo-focussed approaches from earlier decades.Tim Sweet and guest Rita Ernst look at what makes individuals unique and how that translates to business strength, and how individual skills are still highlighted and valued in the current collaborative operational style. Rita explains organizational development using the analogy of Kentucky Derby horse racing and breaks down, with Tim, why a right answer might not be correct for your business if it's not answering the question at hand. Both host and guest are dedicated consultants who share their unique insights into business in a very open and meaningful conversation.About Rita ErnstIn 2005 Rita Ernst left corporate life and established her independent consulting and coaching practice. She has an extensive catalogue of satisfied clients in organizations that range from construction to pharmaceuticals to non-profits.Rita leverages her expertise in organizational psychology to craft solutions for business owners and staff members that break through the hostility while restoring pride, teamwork, and profits. Through her ground-breaking training and lessons, she reveals how to intentionally cultivate positive thoughts and behaviors instead of automatically reacting from the trappings of a depleting cycle of frustration and discontent.Resources mentioned in this episode:Daniel PinkJapanese Kaizen process“Horse” by Geraldine BrooksMaya Angelou quoteDemingSix SigmaLeanHammerMcKinsey & CompanySimon Sinek: Start With Why—Contact Tim Sweet | Team Work Excellence:WebsiteLinkedIn: Tim SweetInstagramLinkedin: Team Work ExcellenceContact Rita Ernst | Positivity Influencer, Authour, Consultant:WebsiteLinkedinInstagramBook: Show Up Positive by Rita Ernst—TranscriptTim Sweet: Before we get going, I would like to talk a little bit about what you're about to hear. I'm joined by Rita Ernst, owner of Ignite Your Extraordinary. She's a true expert in organizational psychology. And in this episode, Rita and I are going to be diving deep into the fascinating world of teamwork and collaboration in the workplace. This conversation evolves from what we've learned in school and how that differs from how we approach the workplace to the impact of general perspectives on collaboration and building high performance teams from scratch. We'll be discussing the history of team based systems in business, the influence of Japanese processes and the importance of trust and collaboration in organizations. But that's not all. We're going to discuss our individual perspectives on just what's at stake when it comes to poor teamwork. And Rita offers up an analogy of horse racing in Kentucky, which beautifully illustrates the importance of aligning individual potential with team goals. So saddle up and hit that subscribe button, because I'm pretty sure that this thought provoking conversation will have you pausing the playback and really thinking about your own team dynamics. So now let's ignite our extraordinary with Rita Ernst. Let's get into this.Rita Ernst: Right. Well, a lot of people hear the conversation, I think, like this, Tim: Don't talk to me about teamwork, I can't even get butts in seats.Tim Sweet: Yeah, no kidding.Rita Ernst: And you and I can look at that and say, Yeah, but if you had better teamwork, you could keep butts in seats.I'd like to ask you some questions. Do you consider yourself the kind of person that gets things done? Are you able to take a vision and transform that into action? Are you able to align others towards that vision and get them moving to create something truly remarkable? If any of these describe you, then you, my friend, are a leader. And this show is all about and all for you. Welcome to the Sweet On Leadership Podcast, Episode Seven.Welcome to the Sweet On Leadership podcast, where we unlock the secrets of the most influential, trusted and impactful leaders in business today so you can become your best version of a leader. And now your host, you know the person who asks the server's favorite dish on the menu? Yeah, he's that guy. Tim Sweet.Tim Sweet: Rita, I'm really glad that you've come back on and that we've got another chance to talk about this and we get to continue our conversation from last time. So thanks again for joining us. Why don't you just remind people who you are again and what you do and then we'll get into the conversation.Rita Ernst: I'm happy to be back with you, Tim. Thank you. I am Rita Ernst. I am the author of 'Show Up Positive', available at your favorite bookseller. And I am the owner of Ignite Your Extraordinary, a consulting practice that focuses on helping organizations align to achieve their fullest potential.Tim Sweet: Well, I am very honored that you've come in again. For those of you who saw or listened to the last episode with Rita, we had a great conversation about what can a leader do to anticipate, before it's on the financials, when not everything is running green and when there may be early warning signs that we are going to enter a period of struggle, specifically struggle when it comes to how the team is feeling, what they're meeting, what they're doing, and what are eventually going to come out in terms of productivity, efficiency and profit. And you drop some awesome gems during that last session. The one that sticks out most in my mind is the fact that we shouldn't shy away from digging back into the story of the company and even our personal stories of why we joined in the first place, and that we really do ourselves a disservice if we don't allow ourselves to feel that strength and that stability of that foundation, and instead, get embroiled in the chaos that is today and are always looking for, well, it has to be new, new, new and obsolete everything else, which, yes, we know we have to grow and change, but boy, does it ever create some instability and some nerves when we don't feel like we have any foundation to draw on. So really, I thought that was just such an excellent point. And then you also brought us through an explanation of some of the wealth that they can find in the book and specifically around what leaders can do to take action right away and really be that force for change, be the change they want to see in the world, as Gandhi said. Right. What did you think of the last conversation and was there anything that was burning for you as we left it?Rita Ernst: Well, I am anxious to hear more feedback from your listeners, so please jump in, if you're subscribing to the podcast, and give us some comments because we did say at the beginning that this was going to be sort of our little collegial geek out conversation.Tim Sweet: Leadership geeks. That's what we are.Rita Ernst: And so I hope people were hanging in there with us. But, you know, there was a whole side conversation that we could have had that we didn't have that I'm hoping we can have today, Tim. And that is that beautiful insight that you gave about the difference between the homogeneity in the school system and what people experience as teamwork in those kinds of places versus what we really mean by high-performance teams in the workplace. And those don't happen by default. Those have to happen with structure and effort and intention. And so I think there's this really juicy conversation that we can have about the difference between being a collection of individuals in the workplace, trying to accomplish something on the pathway to becoming a high performing team, and why your listeners might want to care about achieving that goal of the high performance team. What do you think?Tim Sweet: I think that's a great place to start and I'm glad to hear that that was something of interest to you. I think that's awesome and it is a big topic that we have to face every day. We've known for years that generational issues do play a part. And I remember I often will talk about when I was running my first business and we were really contemplating what did the entry into the workforce of Gen Y look like and how was then a much younger Gen X dealing with it, and how were the Boomers, which were still very much in play there dealing with this new digital, digitally enabled, digitally minded generation moving into the workforce where Gen X was still pretty analog, we saw in shades of gray, and we saw the emergence again of this digitally sure group. The feeling of the time was that they would have kids and get mortgages and incur the wrath of taxes or whatever. And they would eventually get it and they would wake up and mature and slip into the normal way of thinking. Well, it didn't happen.Rita Ernst: They did not. No, it did not.Tim Sweet: They were as motivated by the same things as they were from the beginning. And actually what happened is Gen X and even the Boomers began to gravitate towards this new digitally-minded experience. And so now we've seen this. I think we've learned from this, at least in the leadership sciences, we've learned that generation is not nearly that easy to pin down, for one thing. But there are trends. And one of the trends that we've got right now is the school systems are very, very different in general than they were for previous generations. And that collaboration and teamwork are at the forefront of those schools.Rita Ernst: Well, and valuing differences and accepting differences as strengths instead of weaknesses. Right. There's a whole value system in our education that is much more finely tuned, in my opinion. Yes. Yes. Then when I was a student.Tim Sweet: Yes. But I would also caution I guess, and that is that we have to remember that where is that value system showing up and how is it showing up. And it is showing up between adults and children in institutions which have a very real mandate of moving children through - if you look at the work of Dan Pink - you're moving children through this industrialized educational experience. And as a result, you have to demand some homogeneity on how the children show up, which means that even though we're asking these new questions by and large, and even though it's team groupings and things, there's still a great deal of conformity that's required and there's not necessarily a clear tie to performance as maybe there were in the past, because grades and assessments can be much more subjective and very fluid. And can be influenced greatly through other factors. And it's not to say that the educators aren't great. They're great. I mean, there are many, many great teachers out there. But we have to remember that this culture is coming to a different industry that would be very, very different than you're going to find in most private or public organizations. And so I guess my question to you is, does that type of education prepare a person for the type of high collaboration, high-performance teaming that we need in many organizations? Does it lay a suitable groundwork or is there work to do?Rita Ernst: Well, you know, I hate to lean so heavily on the generation thing, but I think if you look at young entrepreneurs who've built businesses, you know, that has been built from the ground up by millennials and even younger people, clearly they know how to get high performance out of their peer group.Tim Sweet: We're seeing this for sure.Rita Ernst: We're seeing it for sure. When we have organizations led from the mindset of the older generations of the Boomers and Gen Xers, not so much. Do we see the preparedness? And the only way I can come to any understanding of that difference is this clash of values and norms which get to the core of what makes a team or not.Tim Sweet: It's interesting because some of these traditional businesses or the older businesses that we see around there, the more established businesses or at least the ones that are longer in the tooth, their cultures and their systems and their processes and everything that makes them up body and soul, found their genesis in a much less collaborative time. And so when we go to install higher collaboration within teams, etcetera, we're not up against change resistance in individuals. We're up against change resistance that's been calcified into the organization and the culture because that's what it was crafted around.Rita Ernst: Let me put a personal fine point on what Tim is saying, all of you lovely listeners. So I finished graduate school in the early 90s. And I worked in manufacturing plants at the time, and we were just converting operations from traditional militaristic types of management/supervisor models of operating hierarchy into team-based systems. So that is how new team based systems in business are in the history of businesses, right? So to your point, Tim, there are companies like General Electric, Ford Motor Company that have many more years of history and experience outside of the team model than they do inside of the team model.Tim Sweet: And I think what is really fascinating about that is when we look at some of the genesis points of, again, high collaborative teaming, I actually think that is where much of the education systems have drawn their inspiration. I mean, that is, it was happening in my memory, in business before it was happening in schools. And then whether or not it was because of exercises that perhaps administrative teams or somebody was going through, I can't speak to that. The language started showing up and when my kids went to school, and my oldest is 16 right now, they were speaking a language that we were using corporately to bring people together, bring them forward, and how an 11-year-old processes that or how a 7-year-old processes that I can't say, right? But it was far beyond the book report style teaming that we used to go through, which was, all right, you're going to group up and you do the title page and you do the bibliography, and then the other three suckers get to write, do all the work and write the book report. You know, that was sort of the extent of teamwork if you weren't on a sports field or perhaps putting on a play or a production or being part of a band, things were not terribly collaborative.Rita Ernst: I can only speak to my experience in grade schools here in Louisville because once my kids got into middle school and high school, I was not an involved parent in those systems. And in many cases, like in the middle school that my oldest daughter went to, they did not want you around or involved, like they really wanted parents out of the building. So you had to have very specific reasons to be there. But in the grade school, what I noticed immediately that was so discernibly different than my experience when I was the age of my children entering grade school, was there was this purposefulness to creating community and respecting and valuing one another that was ingrained, K through 5 is is grade school for my kids, and in every year there were messages and very purposeful intention given to making sure that across the entire school inclusive of the parents beyond the kids in the classroom, there was this messaging around we're a community, we come together, we support one another, we care about one another, those kinds of things.Tim Sweet: It's funny because as you tell me that, it does remind me a little bit of our differences, Canadian and American, and specifically because I remember having a conversation with an American colleague a while back. And when we think about some of the sort of major tenants of the national identity or something along those lines, you know, the US was really seen as a melting pot. It was seen as we come together and we're stronger and so that there really is this all together mentality or at least this American national mentality. Whereas in Canada, it's funny because when I was brought up, we used to not have that approach. We saw the national landscape as a, it was like a patchwork quilt. We're built on our uniqueness and therefore when a person moves to the country, we have to leverage their skills, taking the best from their culture and not expect change and not expect conformity. And that's a gross generalization. And I realize that it's a gross generalization, but it was really pressed into us that individuality was always quite high in the approach. Now, that didn't translate into the type of individuality that we're talking about in businesses, because I think that even though you had identity that was different than somebody else, you were meant to behave in a predictable, regular manner. And often that was because of the size of the classrooms or something. Teachers needed children to conform. And I guess that was one part of the conversation from last time. Do we feel that this new individuality, this new language around teamwork and whatnot, has solved the conformance problem, or are they still expected to conform? Just like I'm curious on your thoughts.Rita Ernst: I'm going to maybe step back and try to thread it all together. But before we brought the Japanese Kaizen processes and ideas of teamwork into the US, which is really what we were doing, we were trying to be globally competitive with our pricing and our productivity and that kind of thing.Tim Sweet: That's when we had the rise of Deming and the operations masters.Rita Ernst: We were getting killed in the global marketplace, American producers. So that was the whole impetus. But before that, nobody cared if you got along with your coworkers, you had a specific job, set of tasks that you were supposed to do, show up, do your tasks. You know, if you're, like, I was in a manufacturing plant, you're working on the line, this is your station, you're just doing your tasks. Nobody cared. Nobody was having conversation about it, It's important that Tim and Rita communicate well and get along with one another. Like nobody cared about those things. But when you started moving into this model of teaming, now we need to know and understand. We need to have a shared language with one another. We now are going to have certain decisions that we get to make that we didn't get to make before. Great example on the Saturn production line back when Saturn was was like one of the best examples of team-based manufacturing in America, and each team had a goal for how many cars they would produce off the line during their shift. And, you know, and everybody was doing their part. They understood how they fit into that bigger goal of making that happen. But they also all had the right to pull the cord and completely stop the line if there was a major defect or issue. So that was huge like I always feel like it's helpful to people who don't know this history because it's not taught very many places. So it's important to understand where we came from, what we got to, so when you talk about the conformity piece of it, that was like the misconception we were always trying to dodge, as an OD person trying to do team development or install teams inside of organizations, is that it's not cult of conformity, but it is about having and respecting norms and ways of operating together that are going to get the best for everyone. The work that is required, the conversations, the intentionality - and in talking with my children, I still have one in high school, I have one in college, they're not doing that kind of elementary, First, we're going to agree to be a team and talk about what it means to be a team. And they're not, they're just saying, You're going to collaborate together and and and work on these things together. However, because there has been this other shared value that they've had since entering the school system, that we don't discount others for their otherness, there is stuff that they do emerge with around appreciating and looking for each individual's ability to contribute that I think people of our generation, we had to break through a whole lot of assumptions and stuff to be able to get into the head space.Tim Sweet: To get to a point where we could look at that uniqueness as a strength, in a sense, yeah. You've reminded me of the term. So in Canada and Canadian school systems, we used to say Canada is not a melting pot, Canada is a mosaic. And to see organizations as teams in that in that way is important. But I do think that there's a few steps that can go beyond simply appreciating other people's uniqueness and making room for it. And when we move into high performance, it becomes less about simply accepting and making room for it. And I'm not saying that every team is that there's obviously teams that go beyond that, but I think the real juice is found when we say, how do we now leverage that? How do we use it as a feature, not a bug? How do we use it as a competitive advantage, not a liability to be managed? And when you see teams embrace it that way, to really get fluent in what makes them different and how that actually helps them organize around the work, it's a complete game changer in my experience, and it's not something that people often feel they have time to do. It is truly in that 'important but not urgent' quadrant where we succumb to these older notions of, well, you're hired to do a job, you've been educated to do a job, slip in and do the job. Again, gross generalization. But that's the other end of the spectrum.Rita Ernst: Well, I agree with you. Your assessment about it being important and not urgent with this one caveat, and this is based on my experience that I wrote about in the book Show Up Positive, and that is except for people who have experienced high performance. And then it is both urgent and important because it's palpable, the difference.Tim Sweet: There's a gap. There's a vacuum. There's an awareness of how good it could be. And that's a very good point because, I mean, when you're announcing your champion to take an organization to be the local rep or, you know, a champion that's on the ground, often it's easiest if that person has experienced it before. And it's mind-boggling to me, actually. Sometimes you get into some more traditional organizations, you run across entire teams where not one person has real experience being on a high-performing team. They actually, they don't know what that looks like. They do good work. They get their job done. Everything's happening. But they're not on a high-performing team. Organizations where teamwork we wouldn't consider terribly sophisticated can still be wildly profitable. It's just, again, what is the team experience look like? What does the employee experience look like and are they as profitable as they could be? You know?Rita Ernst: Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. I was just having this conversation with my graphics designer because I've been trying to distill an idea into like a one-page graphic. And I was saying to her, I want to put numbers to this because some people really just need to be grounded, in fact, I make a joke about it in my book about like, you know, if you're just one of those people that really just you need to get into the numbers for this to have any value or meaning to you, this chapter is for you. We're going to talk about all the research that's been done that tells you the economics behind having a positive culture. But there is a difference in terms of getting people to see this as important or urgent, depending on whether you're talking about you could be getting better quality of X percent, you could be reducing cost of turnover by X percent when you're in the could be, versus when you can flip it on its side and you can say that absenteeism is costing you X amount of dollars. Every person, every turnover in this job is costing you this amount of money off your bottom line. When you can really get it into the place where you can exchange this idea of what it could be into, like this is the money you're leaving on the table, then you tend to get people to get it in that important and urgent category because nobody likes to lose money, right?Tim Sweet: I mean being able to put teamwork on the balance sheet is something that that takes a fair amount of skill. Now, you come from a psychological background. I come from an operational background. And so for me, even though I'm in the OD space, nothing happens in my mind whether or not it improves the system and it has a bottom line, it is a bottom line effect or a top line effect. And when we're able to say there are these intangible human-centric things that we're going to instill in the business, but we can show a logical effect to improving those within the financials, within our operating metrics, that we can say that attrition and turnover is one that is really, really important right now because, of course, we're in the middle of a movement where, at least in Canada, people are having trouble finding qualified staff. It's not just about finding them, it's about finding them because they want to work in the way they work. So you better know what type of attrition rates you're having and are you in control of those. And is there a decision around teamwork or culture that is directly related to that?Rita Ernst: Right. Well, a lot of people hear the conversation, I think like this, Tim, don't talk to me about teamwork. I can't even get butts in seats.Tim Sweet: Yeah, no kidding.Rita Ernst: And you and I can look at that and say, Yeah, but if you had better teamwork, you could keep butts in seats.Tim Sweet: Or you'd have, or you'd have the reputation because - and this is the other thing that's really interesting - is that your team problems, your cultural problems, in most instances are not that private anymore.Rita Ernst: No, they are not. Thank you, Glassdoor.Tim Sweet: Yeah, Glassdoor for sure. And if not Glassdoor, you know--Rita Ernst: --Reddit--Tim Sweet: --well, or just, or LinkedIn. I mean, you know, I advise my executives that are out if a job search is in the cards, you know, begin to interview people that have worked at that organization and ask them very, very pointed questions about the elements of culture that are important to you personally. Because you have the ability to go and ask those questions now. We are tied together. These things are not private matters anymore and they won't stay private for long, especially if they're dramatic. Going back to that point about being able to quantify the effects of teamwork, positive and negative, let's talk a little bit about that, because, you know, in another conversation that we weren't recording, you were giving me this analogy of understanding the variables. I'm going to ask you to go here now if you're okay with that. And you were talking about you're from Kentucky, racing - horse racing - is a big industry and a big draw there. Can you tell everybody that's listening here a little bit about that, a little bit about the variables and you put them into the metaphor of horse racing. And I thought that that was excellent.Rita Ernst: I don't know if I can do it in the same way again, Tim, but I will do my best--Tim Sweet: Go for it. I trust you.Rita Ernst: -- to try to recreate that moment of magic because it was, it just popped into my head when we were having the conversation. But, you know, we were talking about how it's important that we recognize the potential in individuals, and then we're doing the work to align to, and enable, that potential to manifest in the team. And I was sharing with you that, you know what's interesting when you start thinking about that and you think about the overall business and aligning things together, we are known for the Kentucky Derby, that's what Louisville is known for. Churchill Downs, everybody comes for the greatest two minutes in sport, the run. But what is fascinating, something I just learned from reading the book Horse, is in the history is that we used to not race thoroughbreds at such a young age. That is something new that has happened. And the reason that we didn't race thoroughbreds before the age of four, or smart trainers didn't, is because you were going to do damage to the horse. So you could race them early and take purse and make money off of them, but you were trading off the early money for the longevity of money that you could get with the horse. So if you thought that getting some early purses and then you put them out to stud made a good business, you could do that. But if you really had this vision for your horse that the earnings were really going to come down the road in their peak years, which is sort of five, six, seven, you didn't want to do damage that you couldn't repair when they were gelding at age two. All of that has changed now in horse racing and a lot of that has changed, as I shared with you, because we know so much more about the physiology of horses. And so now we know the veterinary sciences of diet and training regimens and things like that so that you are not doing irreparable damage to the horse, and you can still get more longevity out of them. But sort of the same thing holds in companies, in teams. If you go back to the conversation we were having the last time we were together, that when organizations go through these really, really rapid growth spans, when you're chasing this business and the whole team, I write about this in my book, the whole team is behind you. Like everybody's on board. We're going to chase this business, we're going to grow, we're going to get this thing, and then you get there, and what happens is burnout. Because what it took to win that business and what it takes to sustain that business are not the same things. And you haven't done the work to sustain the business. And that's sort of what this, to me, this whole high-performance conversation really becomes about is when you achieve high performance and when you build that foundation and you know what that feels like, when you hit these moments of stress, you have something deeper to dig into. It's like the veterinary sciences that allow you to get through this blip without doing permanent damage to your organization.Tim Sweet: You talked about the various, you know, with the horse racing example or when we're talking about appreciating differences in people, drawing on that deeper awareness, on those deeper triggers, those levers that you can pull that are down there, or you have to make sure that they're shored up and that you're supporting people and all of these intricate spaces. That gives us another level of power. When you think about the veterinary awareness of an animal, all of the different variables that go into making a champion. When we think about the student coming out and just being self-aware of all of the things that can make what they want to see so that when they are the young entrepreneurial high-tech startup, they know what they want to see in their organization. And it's a lot more holocratic than you're going to get in some of the more structured vertical organizations. But we develop this new language around all of these different variables that we can now go and we can change and test and augment. And I know you and I've talked in the past, you brought it up, the power that gives you and the control that gives you, because it's not simply about saying, Well, we're going to change all of them at once, but we're going to go observe the one that matters, and we're going to make an educated guess and say, Okay, this is the constraint at the time and we're going to change that and we're going to observe and watch. And that was the other piece that I wanted you to speak a little bit to because it's like, you know, think of the power that we get in a team when we have the language and the granularity. Granular awareness of all the things that matter, that we can go in there and we can pick out the one thing that's going to make a difference.Rita Ernst: There is a method to the madness, so to speak. There is science behind teamwork, right? And so you cannot just jump and skip steps. So it's forming, storming, norming, performing for a reason. And so order does matter. If you are trying to do norming, which is about behaviors and processes and how we work together, but you have trust issues because we don't really know one another, you're dead in the water. You got to go all the way back to the forming stage where building relationship and trust with one another. So in my world, there are three key things that always have to be present. And the first and foundational piece is mutual respect. If there is no respect present, nothing can happen. So if I walk into your organization and things have devolved to the place where the employees are ready to rage against management and walk out the door, right, they're ready to picket this business, they feel disrespected, they feel unheard, they've got... Us trying to put in a new system or a new process is a waste of time. You've got to heal.Tim Sweet: Busy under-bossing each other.Rita Ernst: Yeah, you got to fix the relationship and the respect thing first. Nobody - was it Maya Angelou who said, Nobody remembers what you said, but they remember how much you cared, or something, there's a saying like that - I mean, it's sort of that that that essential idea of see me as a person. Connect with me at that level first. So respect is the entry condition. You cannot have teams if you do not have mutual respect. That's just going to have to happen. Then the next thing is mutual purpose. So now that I respect you and I'm willing to be in relationship or in team with you, do we have a shared purpose that we care about? Are we committed to creating something together that rallies us? I go back to the same example. So even if all of your team is happy with everybody else in the team, but they're still failing to meet the goals, I can't dig into fixing systems and processes if we've lost sight of what the goal is, where we're trying to go, you know, and why it's important. So if they think that what we're about is excellence and customer service and they are putting as much intense time, which is costing you money to the bottom line, to really be there for customer service and you've switched gears and you're not so hot on customer service at the moment, and you're thinking, No, like at this point we just need more customers, we just need faster customer integration to our system. Well, those are different messages, different purposes, and they're driving different behaviours and it's creating the conflict. And then the third piece - so we have to have mutual respect, we have to have mutual purpose - and then we can get to mutual meaning, which is the norming part of the conversation, which is about, you know, shared language and how we work together and processes and things for how we operate so that it is as effective as it can be. But you do have to take things in a certain order. And if you just try to start changing everything all at once, there's too much interconnectedness and it's impossible to anticipate how that dynamic will play out and what the result will be.Tim Sweet: Yeah, it's a fundamental error that a lot of teams get or leaders get trapped in is if, let's say we're in that organization where trust is really the breakdown, where it's mutual respect - and if you use like model, trust before conflict, before commitment, before accountability, before results - if you start trying to work accountability when you haven't dealt with mutual respect and trust, science will often call that a beta error, you know? The alpha error being you get the answer wrong. So two plus two equals three, alpha error, right? If it's two plus two equals penguin, the answer may be a penguin, just not to that question. So, you know, beta error is we're getting the right answer to the wrong question. And so, yeah, let's work on accountability systems. Let's install a new performance scorecard or something. But that's the wrong answer if we haven't dealt with the fundamentals of trust and respect. We have to start.Rita Ernst: I'm loving this analogy. Yes. Yes. Yes, absolutely.Tim Sweet: As I said, I started my management journey really in operations management, performance improvement, you know, Deming, Six Sigma, Lean, Hammer, all of those. That's, I'm deeply schooled in that stuff. But I found that I could go in and I could design elegant processes, big processes, floor-to-ceiling processes, performance systems, management systems. Sure, great. Do it. But if I didn't have the people and I didn't have them properly collaborating and I didn't have trust and I didn't have leaders on board and people on board, it didn't matter. It was the right solution to the wrong problem. The problem I should have been looking at was trust. And that's why my first business gave way to my second business, which was all around the right people on the team working on the right stuff with the capacity for excellence, is what the problem is all about. It's not jumping to the engineering of the processes.Rita Ernst: I love mastermind groups. There's something to be gained from that. But it, but this is also one of the important things to remember about not seeking true expertise in situations like this, and then - I've talked about this in the book, but you see this - as a leader, you go out to your leader network and you talk about the symptoms that you're seeing, right? Somebody can give you a band aid for that symptom. Right solution for the wrong problem. Right? It's just not really going to get to you. So if you're a diabetic and your insulin is out of whack and somebody can tell you, oh, well, take this medicine for that ache and pain, oh, try this like, yeah, like you can, that'll help with some things, but that's not, that's not going to fix the fundamental issue that you need to have fixed. I do encourage you to recognize, dear listeners, that there is some expertise to really understanding the order of things and really assessing. So in our practice, we always say, Well, I have to come in and assess. It's not... and so that gets to number two, be leery of the consultant that comes to you that says, I have it in a box. Let me give you the solution in a box because as you just said, without really getting to the heart of the issues and knowing where we are, it could be the perfect solution that will never work because it's in the wrong order.Tim Sweet: Yeah. Be careful of the solution that they're providing with an economy of scale because it means it likely is a rubber stamp. It likely is a paint-by-number. And it's likely full of shoulds. Here's the thing you should do. You should really do that. And beware of shooting all over yourself, because it's like that's when there's a person that needs a diagnosis of being a diabetic who's been saying, you know, you should really take more vitamin D or you should really, you know, have you thought about journaling. Like it's a good thing to do, but it's not going to solve your problems. And, you know, and this is where I would toot the horn of the small bespoke operator here, is that I take a deeply personal approach and I'm sure you do as well. Where we go in and we get to the bottom of what really is there and we're not on our agenda. We're not, we're on theirs. We're not trying to sell - I have a massive toolbox, and I'm sure you do, too - I don't bring it out for everybody. I'm there to find the right, the best possible solution to their unique special challenge, and even more importantly, wake them up to that uniqueness and wake them up to the challenge so that they can see it. And once they see it, once we create that gap and maybe that gap is because they experienced it before. But once we create that gap, then they will solve for it. They will find a way if they understand what high function looks like.Rita Ernst: And, you know how I love my little analogies, if I can give a great analogy to build on what you're saying. The other thing I think that we bring in the way that we practice is akin to captive versus independent agents in insurance. So you're experiencing symptoms of diabetes. You may not be, like you may still have some functioning. We can say, okay, so here's some naturopathic choices, here's some Eastern medicine solutions, here are some traditional things, here's some health and wellness practices, like we can bring a whole suite of options to you, versus we have insulin.Tim Sweet: But centred around a qualified problem. Centred around a qualified and quantified analysis or a deeply understood pattern that makes sense. And everybody goes, yes, this is a real thing. I may not see it from your perspective, but I can understand that this is legit now.Rita Ernst: Because at the end of the day, insulin injections may always be required, but the amount and frequency could be very different if you incorporated other practices. Right?Tim Sweet: That uncovers another issue with teamwork when we're undergoing these types of transformations, and that is resist the urge to boil the ocean, resist the urge to change everything, resist the urge to give up on everything that you've been doing right for all these years. Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater. Appreciate what you're doing well, and go in and cut with a, operate with a scalpel, not a shotgun. It's a much better approach.Rita Ernst: When I'm networking with people and they ask me to describe my clients, one of the things that I say is that my clients are very smart, successful business people, because it's true. I don't know everything. I'm not McKinsey and Company. I don't have millions of people that go to research on all these things. What I lean into is my ability to use inquiry and curiosity and to, you know, connect the dots to ask questions that allow that business owner to uncover their knowing and genius. They know a lot of things that I don't know that I need to know. You know, I'm like the special seasoning in some ways that you sprinkle in to to to make the great recipe that, you know, that really takes it from mediocre to like five-star restaurant quality. But at the core, I'm trusting that they know their business and really helping them to uncover the things that they know, but they're just not accessing because they are so overwhelmed with the volume of things competing for their time and attention.Tim Sweet: I mean, they're busy working in the business, not on the business. And we have the luxury. We have the luxury, again, I've said this to you before, and I mean, as a profession, we have the luxury of analyzing what does it mean to lead, about studying the science behind leadership, about looking at, about staying up on the latest ideas and developing a toolbox of everything from the latest to the, you know, greatest hits that work well and everything in between. And then we spend our time getting deeply involved with business owners learning about their business. They're the experts in those spaces. But understanding the types of struggles that they undergo and eventually using that to help us diagnose and lead to good questions and inquiry and Socratic coaching and everything that we need to do to really get to the bottom of something. And I'd say that we, there is a time and a place for the McKinsey and for the Deloitte's and for the, you know, PwC's, and when you're dealing with something that's a massive, massive organization with a big change, they can operate at those scales. Sure. But even if you're in a large organization or a small organization, I think the quality of your result with an outside provider or with your team, is going to be directly related to the quality of the relationship that precedes that. And how, for lack of a better word, how intimate is the knowledge, professional knowledge between those two people, and are they sharing on a level? And if that level is deep and you're able to have high trust and lots of transparency and lots of openness, and really get to the bottom of things? Boy, those are the clients that I love and I continue to work with because it's just, they are the clients for life, not because we're never solving the issue, but because we're solving issue after issue after issue.Rita Ernst: Yes. Yes, exactly. Exactly.Tim Sweet: And it's so fun because you feel like your, you don't feel like, you are part of their journey.Rita Ernst: When I talk about clients, I talk about them as if I'm on their payroll. Because I just feel like I'm part of the team. Like we've really melded in that way. Yes.Tim Sweet: And personally invested in not just the success of the company, but the success of the people. And again, I don't say this so that we're, like we're kind of waxing poetic on the thing. It's more about this particular vocation, I think requires you to go in and care. And because doing it without a modicum of care, it's pretty cold. And you lose a lot of the nuance and you're and you're unable to, I think, you're unable to connect to the degree you need to connect to make real and lasting change, especially in the areas where the change has to occur in mindset, where it has to occur in personal identity and the understanding of where beliefs are getting us, and all of these things that are actually pretty they're pretty tough. It's much easier to go and draw a flowchart. It's way easier.Rita Ernst: You're reminding me, Tim, of this epiphany that I've had in the last year for sure. I love Simon Sinek's work on 'Start With Why', I've spent a lot of time thinking about why and about my own personal values and other things. And at the end of the day, what I realized, what I came back to, is a long time ago I did this leadership course and we had a deck of values cards and we had to like get it down to 3 out of a deck of 52. And there was a whole process for that. And my number one card was legacy. And when I think about myself and what I do and how I do it and why I choose the, make the choices that I make, legacy is still that guiding value. It's really at the core of my why. But what is different for me is that when I think about legacy, I don't think about wealth building financially. I think about wealth building in relationships. And so my legacy is measured, for me, in terms of my ability to really leave somebody better than I found them. And that's really my definition of legacy. And so it does, to your point about this beautiful space that we get to be in, you know, that that is always my intention. My intention is how can I come in and contribute in a way that's going to leave this person and this organization at a better place. And that is so tremendously joyful for me to be a part of that work and that conversation that I don't ever see myself walking away and doing anything else.Tim Sweet: Yeah, I think finding that definition for yourself and, you know, it's funny when you talk about pulling out the deck of cards and doing the values. I mean, I do this all the time. That's what I travel with a deck of values cards like because you never know when that's going to be, when that's going to be the issue, when that's the disconnect. It's a really important part to start with. And for myself personally, it's not legacy that drives me forward, but it's something similar. I want to see people reach their full potential. And I hate, hate to see people struggle. If I see a system or a process or a person that is struggling, especially if that is self-generated friction, oh, there's something that I just, because it feels unfair and unnecessary that a person would have to struggle against themselves or the process, certainly we can find a way that you can go to work and the work is challenging, otherwise it would be called a vacation. But you go and you work, but it's also rewarding and it happens with ease. So having success be that path of least resistance is so important. Finding that for everybody. But man, you know what? Life is going to put rocks in that river. It's going to put logs, it's going to put beavers generating dams and old rusted cars, and the river of your life is going to have to move around all of these things. And the question is, can they be removed? Have some of those you put there and you assume are there permanently, and we can remove those. And that kind of takes us full circle to the shoulds that were offered, the bright and shiny things that guess what, that's somebody dropping rocks in your river and you now have to operate around that thing. Whereas if we can simplify and we get down to the basics of what makes you effective and what makes you, what makes a team function properly and an organization excel, often that is a reductive process. It's not an additive process. It's like, let's ditch the garbage and get back to the basics of what really is predicting success. Sure, adapt new ways of doing things, but make sure the basics are covered and covered well. So anyway. Woo hoo. Boy, Rita.Rita Ernst: What a great conversation, Tim. What a great conversation.Tim Sweet: We inspired a whole bunch of people that want to now become consultants or we've scared, you know, a whole bunch of people off. Well, I mean, the thing is, it's a really interesting insight perhaps, for people to see two people that are involved in organizational development and dynamics playing with these topics. Because I know of you and I know of me, we think deeply about these things and it's important for us to be craftspeople when it comes to it, to be artisans of our trade, right? And I think maybe that's helpful for people to see. Like not just that we sit back and we kind of let the knowledge wash over us. We're pretty active. You're pretty active. Kudos to you.Rita Ernst: Well, thank you. And kudos to you as well. So I have enjoyed coming back to spend time with your audience. Thank you so much for inviting me to continue our conversation. And it has been a sheer pleasure to just get to think more deeply, because again, I'll go back to what I said before, being a solopreneur I'm not surrounded by people that I get to have these great, deep conversations with, and I always walk away with some new nugget from listening to you on your podcast or talking with you. So thank you.Tim Sweet: It's wonderful to play around with these ideas with you and deepen my own understanding, and I really appreciate that. And Rita, I want to just thank you so much for being here. And I can't wait till the next time we can play around with these things.Rita Ernst: Thank you very much.

We're back with a brand new format of the Short Chute Show, and in this episode we're kicking off with a bang and discussing all things around the news that broke on Collin Chartier taking performance enhancing drugs. Chris McCormack and Tim Don react to the news and give us their opinions on the matter, plus we share an exclusive clip from our upcoming 'Face To Face' episode with Ironman World Champion Gustav Iden. You can watch The Short Chute Show on YouTube! - https://youtu.be/TuF58Bjcn5Y

Will McCloy is joined by Tim Don, Annie Emerson, Chris McCormack and Hayden Wilde for the latest episode of The Short Chute Show, brought to you by EO SwimBETTER. They are back to talk about the 2023 SLT Arena Games Triathlon Powered by Zwift new location announcements, Abu Dhabi World Triathlon Race, and a recap of the year.

Last week we talked about Nice France being host to the IMWC Men's race next September and for the Tour de France final stage in 2024. Nice is the place to be in January 2023 with the first ever Global Triathlon Awards where leading athletes and brands in the sport are honored ahead of the star-studded night at the Palais de la Mediterranee in Nice, France, on Friday, 20 January 2023.   Show Sponsor: UCAN Generation UCAN has a full line of nutrition products to fuel your sport. UCAN uses SuperStarch instead of simple sugars and stimulants to fuel athletes.  UCAN keeps blood sugar steady compared to the energy spikes and crashes of sugar-based products. UCAN also has hydration products focused on giving you the sodium you need when hydrating, including several clean and light flavors. Steady energy equals sustained performance and a faster finish line!   Use UCAN in your training and racing to fuel the healthy way, finish stronger and recover more quickly!  Use the code 303UCAN for 20% off at ucan.co/discount/303UCAN/ or ucan.co   In Today's Show Endurance News World Triathlon, Abu Dhabi Global Triathlon Awards (GTAs) Clash Daytona What's new in the 303 353 million verdict Michael Ingles v Ryan Montoya Colorado Springs event becomes qualifying event for US Gran Fondo National Championships Durango Video of the Week 2022 World Triathlon Championship Finals - Elite Women's Highlights   News Sponsor Buddy Insurance: Buddy Insurance gives you peace of mind to enjoy your training and racing to the fullest. Buddy's mission is simple, to help people fearlessly enjoy an active and outdoor lifestyle.    Get on-demand accident insurance just in case the unexpected happens. Buddy ensures you have cash for bills fast.  Go to buddyinsurance.com and create an account.  There's no commitment or charge to create one.  Once you have an account created, it's a snap to open your phone and in a couple clicks have coverage for the day.  Check it out!   Endurance News:   Shortlists Announced For First Global Triathlon Awards December 6, 2022   Hosts, Judges and Nominees Revealed Ahead of Triathlon's Glittering Night /ENDURANCE SPORTSWIRE/ – The shortlist for the first Global Triathlon Awards (GTAs) has today been announced as the leading athletes and brands in the sport are honoured ahead of the star-studded night at the Palais de la Mediterranee in Nice, France, on Friday, 20 January 2023.   Also revealed today are the hosts for the event. Will McCloy, known as the ‘voice of Super League Triathlon' will MC the event alongside Paula Radcliffe MBE, three-time winner of both the London and New York marathons and an endurance sport legend.   The GTAs is being supported by major event organisers including World Triathlon, Super League Triathlon & Professional Triathlete's Organisation, alongside fantastic headline partners France's Department 06 & cycling specialist brand Ekoi who will all present awards on stage and join the celebration of the sport and the wider community.   The coveted Male and Female athlete award categories see the best of short and long course come together. In the Male category Hayden Wilde, Alex Yee and Matt Hauser come up against Kristian Blummenfelt and Gustav Iden. In the Female category Flora Duffy and Georgia Taylor-Brown are joined by Chelsea Sodaro, Lucy Charles-Barclay and Ashleigh Gentle.   The GTAs are judged by a panel of key-selected industry experts. For 2023, we are honoured to have Jordan Blanco, Stephane Diagana, Emma-Kate Lidbury, Tim Don and Chelsea Burns on the judging panel.   In addition to the public nominations, which are then scored across two judging rounds via a digital platform followed by an in person judging day, the GTAs will also have the exclusive new ‘Lifetime Kudos Awards', which recognise those who have made outstanding contributions to the sport and what will be the ultimate GTA Award to win.   These awards are nominated by judges and decided upon by partners, who discuss and recognise those who have accomplished outstanding contributions towards the triathlon industry and community over a lifetime of achievement.Tables & tickets for the 2023 GTA Ceremony, with the opportunity to mix with key organisers and stars of the sport, are on sale and can be purchased via: https://globaltriawards.com   Dazzling Duffy wins record fourth World Triathlon title after spectacular season finale by Doug Gray on 25 Nov, 2022 11:40 •  Español Dazzling Duffy wins record fourth World Triathlon title after spectacular season finale Flora Duffy became the only woman ever to win four World Triathlon titles on Friday afternoon in Abu Dhabi, with yet another display to utterly underline her position as the greatest woman that the sport has ever seen.   Shrugging off the soaring temperatures, Bermuda's Olympic hero was again able to produce the goods when it mattered most, navigating plenty of drama on the 40km bike and then easing away from the only woman who could stop her date with destiny, Georgia Taylor-Brown. Gold secured Duffy the title, the race and Series silver went to Taylor-Brown, an excellent first podium for Lena Meissner in third. Another eventful fourth place finish for Taylor Knibb after coming off on the bike secured her the Series bronze.   “I'm really, really proud of this one,” said a beaming Duffy afterwards. “It was a difficult start to the year for me coming out of the Olympics and Covid and everything and it took a lot of work to get my mind back into it so I'm thrilled. I smiled a few times when it was just me and Georgia… I feel like she brings me to another level. We don't really give each other an inch and I just wanted to stay safe because it's super hot out there. When I got a little bit of a gap on the third lap of the run it was a little sooner than I anticipated but I thought; ‘well, gotta go now!'   Knibb and Duffy spearhead swim With temperatures hitting 33 degrees and shade at a premium out on the course, the yellow hats of the top-ranked athletes filed in and on to the right of the pontoon on the edge of Yas Bay. Flora Duffy and Georgia Taylor-Brown didn't get the best of starts in the water, but were soon digging in to hit the first buoy without any trouble Taylor Knibb on the front.   It was the American out first at the turn with Duffy on her feet from Beth Potter, Vittoria Lopes and Taylor-Brown out in fifth, and that was largely how it stayed for the second 750m lap, Summer Rappaport working her way to the front as the six came up and into transition.   German duo Laura Lindemann and Lisa Tertsch and Netherlands' Maya Kingma were right there too, but Duffy was slick through transition and away on the 40km first, Taylor-Brown and Potter in hot pursuit, Knibb losing some ground on the six chasing the Bermudian.   9-Deep bike pack leads It wouldn't take long for Knibb to catch on, Germany's Lena Meissner too, and behind the front nine, Taylor Spivey and Kirsten Kasper were riding together 23 seconds back, Cassandre Beaugrand fronting another 11 athletes giving chase but now 54 seconds off the leaders after three laps of nine.   Up front, Knibb was prodding and probing, looking to work an opening from wide positions so the Series leaders and championship chasers had to keep fully alert for any sign of an American charge as well as for the tight and technical corners.   Duffy then started to test those around her, a mini-break not sticking, the leaders stretching out then coming together repeatedly, though Lindemann fell off the pace to join those behind, now including Tertsch after the German came off but 90 seconds back after five laps.   Duffy, Knibb and Taylor-Brown continued to share duties out front, Potter having issues on lap six and next to fall off the leaders and start to ride alone, 20 seconds back.   Knibb fall halts progress More drama at the end of lap seven saw Knibb's wheel slide out taking Kingma with her, Lopes and Meissner just able to avoid trouble and stay with Duffy and Taylor-Brown up ahead. Knibb wrestled with her chain for what felt like an eternity but still managed to ride back up to Kingma at the bell, but there was now suddenly just four main contenders for the medals.   With the bikes racked, there was no surprise to see the two title-chasers heading out together once more and the best in the world ran together for two laps, the title and an epic season coming right down to a 5km foot race to the line.   Duffy books date with triathlon destiny It was coming out onto lap three that Duffy asked the big question, and as she accelerated up the small hill and back out into the heart of the course, it quickly became clear that Taylor-Brown had no answer. Soon the Bermudian was out of sight, looking undaunted by the heat, fully focussed on the fourth title she slowly realised was hers.   Taylor-Brown finished with the silver at the end of an exhausting campaign, Meissner with a gutsy first ever WTCS podium ahead of Knibb. Leonie Periault (FRA) ran her way into fifth, Lopes hung on for an excellent sixth ahead of Spivey, Emma Lombardi (FRA), Miriam Casillas Garcia (ESP) and Cassandre Beaugrand rounding out the top 10.   “I gave it everything I had today,” said Georgia Taylor-Brown. “It's been a hard few months and I've tried to forget about it all but i'm really proud of myself out there today and giving it everything and doing all I could. We were battling it out to the end and I wouldn't have it any other way, and I don't think she would. I'm still learning in every race and I still want that world title one day.”   “I can't believe that, I need a few days to let it sink in,” said a thrilled Meissner. “It was tough but I got here 10 days ago and had good heat prep and there was lots of water and ice out there. I just tried to stay calm and confident and it just worked perfectly for me today.”   “I'm pretty shocked, there were a lot of ups and downs in the season and today,” said Knibb. “The corner was entirely my fault, I wasn't full processing things at that point, it was a bit of user error and I'm sorry to Maya and Vittoria and Lena behind me for that. Hopefully I will be back here in March to go again.”   Women's Results Pos First Name Last Name YOB Country Start Num Time Swim 1500m T1 Bike 40km T2 Run 10km 1 Flora Duffy 1987  BER 2 01:53:24 00:19:20 00:01:13 00:59:58 00:00:29 00:32:27 2 Georgia Taylor-Brown 1994  GBR 1 01:54:28 00:19:25 00:01:11 00:59:54 00:00:26 00:33:33 3 Lena Meißner 1998  GER 26 01:55:59 00:19:30 00:01:10 00:59:51 00:00:27 00:35:03 4 Taylor Knibb 1998  USA 5 01:56:40 00:19:26 00:01:18 01:00:20 00:00:31 00:35:07 5 Leonie Periault 1994  FRA 34 01:56:51 00:20:00 00:01:12 01:02:22 00:00:26 00:32:54 6 Vittoria Lopes 1996  BRA 27 01:56:59 00:19:24 00:01:16 00:59:53 00:00:31 00:35:57 7 Taylor Spivey 1991  USA 7 01:57:44 00:19:41 00:01:11 01:02:03 00:00:28 00:34:23 8 Emma Lombardi 2001  FRA 14 01:57:50 00:19:46 00:01:10 01:02:30 00:00:23 00:34:02 9 Miriam Casillas García 1992  ESP 10 01:57:56 00:20:21 00:01:10 01:01:55 00:00:24 00:34:08 10 Cassandre Beaugrand 1997  FRA 6 01:58:13 00:19:29 00:01:12 01:02:53 00:00:26 00:34:15   Men's Results Pos First Name Last Name YOB Country Start Num Time Swim 1500m T1 Bike 40km T2 Run 10km 1 Léo Bergere 1996  FRA 3 01:44:14 00:18:09 00:01:04 00:54:57 00:00:22 00:29:44 2 Morgan Pearson 1993  USA 62 01:44:25 00:18:35 00:01:02 00:55:13 00:00:23 00:29:15 3 Jelle Geens 1993  BEL 4 01:44:34 00:18:43 00:01:10 00:54:53 00:00:22 00:29:28 4 Alex Yee 1998  GBR 2 01:44:37 00:18:33 00:01:03 00:55:12 00:00:27 00:29:24 5 Matthew Hauser 1998  AUS 10 01:44:51 00:18:33 00:01:06 00:55:11 00:00:21 00:29:42 6 Hayden Wilde 1997  NZL 1 01:45:13 00:18:15 00:01:04 00:55:31 00:00:24 00:30:01 7 Vincent Luis 1989  FRA 5 01:45:19 00:17:54 00:01:08 00:55:09 00:00:25 00:30:45 8 Kristian Blummenfelt 1994  NOR 44 01:45:19 00:18:27 00:01:09 00:55:10 00:00:26 00:30:10 9 Joao Silva 1989  POR 16 01:45:23 00:18:48 00:01:06 00:54:56 00:00:24 00:30:10 10 Matthew Mcelroy 1992  USA 27 01:45:26 00:18:48 00:01:04 00:54:56 00:00:33 00:30:06   What's New in the 303: 353 million verdict Michael Ingles v Ryan Montoya 719 Ride joins the SUAREZ Gran Fondo National Series December 7, 2022 Colorado Springs event becomes qualifying event for US Gran Fondo National Championships Gettysburg, PA – December 7, 2022 /ENDURANCE SPORTSWIRE/ – Gran Fondo National Series is proud to announce the 719 Ride as a partner event in the 2023 SUAREZ Gran Fondo National Series. Starting in 2023, 719 Ride participants can earn points toward the season-long Gran Fondo National Series Points Competition and qualify for the USA Cycling Gran Fondo National Championships.   The 719 Ride Elevation Celebration will celebrate eight years of cycling fatigue and fun in Colorado Springs in 2023. To honor the 100th anniversary of the death of its fictional inspiration, this Festival of Never-ending Ascending intends to wears its participants out on a 14.4-mile course in the grand shadow of America's Mountain, Pikes Peak. Riders can complete any number of laps for a price 40% lower than a similar event.   The signature ride is five laps of The Course That Cannot Be Defeated (71.9 miles and 9,190 feet of elevation gain). The torture and torment will occur on July 15, 2023, and registration opens March 12, 2023.   “Participants of the 719 Ride have said it's ‘intense pain and excellent fun.' That ‘it's a true test of mental toughness' and is ‘like gelato for the soul.' I'm excited to partner with the SUAREZ Gran Fondo National Series to introduce our lactic acid crippling haze to the fondo riding community. I'm confident that Series riders will be solidly cracked by the end of the Gran Route and that all riders will love the easy-going, low-key nature of our suffer- and pleasure-fest. — Chris Giovagnoni, Founder   As part of the Series, points will be awarded based on two timed sections of the main 719 Ride course. To qualify for the Gran Route standings, riders must complete at least five laps. Rankings will be determined by the sum of a rider's five fastest timed segments on both sections. For the Medio Route, a rider must complete three or four laps, and rankings will be determined by the sum of a rider's three fastest timed segments on both section. Piccolo Route riders must complete at least two laps, and rankings will be determined by a rider's fastest cumulative time on both segments.   “I am proud to welcome 719 Ride to the SUAREZ Gran Fondo National Series and provide cyclists in the Rocky Mountain region with another opportunity to earn Series points and qualify for USA Cycling Gran Fondo National Championships,” said Gran Fondo National Series Founder, Reuben Kline. “719 Ride's unique format aligns with our philosophy of enabling cyclists of all ability and interest levels to ride together and share in a great event experience.”   About Gran Fondo National Series (granfondonationalseries.com) Founded in 2012 by event director Reuben Kline, the Gran Fondo National Series is the largest and most competitive series of gran fondo cycling events in the United States. Gran Fondo National Series was the first series to implement timed-segment racing into US gran fondo events and has crowned Gran Fondo National Champions and Gran Fondo National Series Champions since 2012. Since 2020, Gran Fondo National Series has been the organizer of the official USA Cycling Gran Fondo National Championships.   About the 719 Ride First conceived and ridden in 2016, the 719 Ride aspires to be a bicycle event that contributes to the culture and community of Colorado Springs. The event is a homegrown, locally organized experience riding in the draft of many great and long-established Colorado cycling events. It hopes to become a positive part of the Colorado Springs tradition and identity while celebrating the tradition, lore and culture of cycling and helping set the pace for cycling fun in the Rocky Mountain region.   Video of the week: 2022 World Triathlon Championship Finals - Elite Women's Highlights   Mondays With Mark Allen Episode 34: Two Days, Two Races, Two Countries   Closing: Thanks again for listening in this week.  Please be sure to follow us @303endurance and of course go to iTunes and give us a rating and a comment.  We'd really appreciate it! Stay tuned, train informed, and enjoy the endurance journey!

From the Archives: Dave ScottDave Scott is already well known for his achievements - 6 time winner of Ironman Hawaii between 1980 and 1987, successful coach to champion athletes like Chrissie Wellington, Craig Alexander, Tim Don and Julie Dibens.What is less well known is his ongoing battle with depression that has, at times, left him unable to get off the couch. Dave is open and honest about the challenges he's faced - how, despite the World regarding him as ‘The Man', and his countless race successes, striving for perfection and falling short often left him feeling worthless. And he also shares about how, with time, he's come to see things differently, how his children have helped him, and how, in turn, he's managed to help other highly driven and obsessive athletes find a little more balance - as well as World Championship victories.We also hear Dave's thoughts on the efforts of the PTO and their aim of making the sport more professional. Sign up for Dave's free fortnightly newsletter covering a wide range of topics from health, ageing, diet and training physiology to swim, bike and run biomechanics in both video and written form by visiting https://davescottinc.com/Additionally, you can also ask questions directly to Dave by going to https://davescottinc.com/ and find him on social media here:Twitter https://twitter.com/davescott6xInstagram https://www.instagram.com/davescott6x/YouTube https://www.youtube.com/user/davescottinc/LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/davescott3/Sign up to stay up to date on all PTO news, races, athletes, competitions, exclusive content and much more here: http://bit.ly/PTOHubDaveScottThis interview was originally broadcast in September 2020SponsorsLike what you heard in this interview? Join hundreds of other age group triathletes making the most of their limited training time, training with Team OxygenAddict! http://team.oxygenaddict.com - The most comprehensive triathlon coaching program for busy age groupers. To find out more, You can book a zoom, phone or skype call with Rob or the Team here precisionfuelandhydration.comThis show is brought to you by Precision Fuel & Hydration, who have a range of tools and products to help you personalise your fuelling and hydration strategy so that you can perform at your best. Take the FREE Fuel & Hydration Planner to get a personalised race nutrition planBook a free 20-minute hydration and fueling strategy video consultationDidn't catch the discount code to get 15% off your first order of fuelling and hydration products, drop Andy and the team an email at hello@pfandh.com and they'll be happy to help youUseful Blogs:Why sodium is crucial to athletes performing at their bestWhy do athletes suffer from cramp?How much carbohydrate do athletes need per hour?Which energy products are right for you?Check out Precision Fuel and Hydration on social channels here:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/precisionfandh/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/precisionfandhTwitter: https://twitter.com/precisionfandhListen on Spotify: http://bit.ly/OATriPodSpotifyListen on Apple Podcasts: http://bit.ly/OATriPodiTunes

Will McCloy is joined by Tim Don, Annie Emerson, Chris McCormack and Hayden Wilde for the latest episode of The Short Chute Show, brought to you by Humango, Super League Triathlon's official training partner. In this week's episode the team discuss the whole Super League Triathlon Championship Series after the grand finale in Neom. Download the Humango app: https://humango.ai/

Will McCloy is joined by Tim Don and Annie Emerson for the latest episode of The Short Chute Show, brought to you by Humango, Super League Triathlon's official training partner. In this week's episode the team discuss the fourth race of the series in toulouse and look ahead to the season finale in NEOM! Download the Humango app: https://humango.ai/

Will McCloy is joined by Tim Don and Chris McCormack for the latest episode of The Short Chute Show, brought to you by Humango, Super League Triathlon's official training partner. In this week's episode the team discuss the third race of the series in Malibu! Download the Humango app: https://humango.ai/

Will McCloy is joined by Vicky Holland, Chris McCormack and Tim Don for the latest episode of The Short Chute Show, brought to you by Humango, Super League Triathlon's official training partner. The team go over the opening round of the 2022 championship Series in London as well as looking ahead to round two in Munich. Can Macca's team maintain the impressive form they showed in London and what changes will The Don make after a disappointing first race? The team also discuss short chute tactics as the race format changes to Enduro.

Will McCloy is joined by Annie Emmerson, Chris McCormack and Tim Don for the latest episode of The Short Chute Show, brought to you by Humango, Super League Triathlon's official training partner. In this weeks episode the team look ahead to the upcoming 2022 Super League Triathlon Championship Series. They discuss locations, formats, prize money and much more ahead of the biggest Championship Series yet as well as looking at the newly announced transfers following this years draft. Cassandre Beaugrand and Ryan Fisher are just a couple of the new names to join a field for the most exciting season to date.

Will McCloy is joined by Annie Emmerson, Vicky Holland and Tim Don for the latest episode of The Short Chute Show, brought to you by Humango, Super League Triathlon's official training partner. In this week's episode the team discuss the World Triathlon Championship Series race in Leeds, the upcoming Super League Triathlon Championship Series and the first on the list of star studded athletes. The team managers break down their tactics for the Super League Championship Series draft too.

Developer of TowerFall and Celeste Maddy Thorson joins the panel to cover the Treasure of Sierra Madrock, Nephew Tokens, and if double jumps are really necessary. Questions this week: Topher Florence asks: Cast a Super Mario Bros. Movie using the actors from the 1999 film The Matrix. There are no other restrictions. (06:51) How can a game's soundtrack encourage gameplay? (13:45) Why did MicroKingBlizzardActivision show off that diversity chart like they were proud of it? (19:33) How much of Nintendo can the Saudi Prince of Arabia own before it's no longer ethical to buy Switch games? (27:05) Should video games abolish the double jump? (30:42) Reg asks: What is the best video game manual you have read? (37:50) How do you implement accessibility options in a game where its difficulty is the point? (43:34) Do video game release dates mean anything anymore? (48:25) Will 3D platforming ever be better than 2D platforming? (54:16) LIGHTNING ROUND: GameFAQ&As – Super Mario Maker 2 (01:00:03) Recommendations & Outro (01:03:39) Dash to the forums to discuss this episode! A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED: Mission in Snowdriftland Titanic (1997) The Flintstones: The Treasure of Sierra Madrock Daffy Duck: The Marvin Missions Bonk's Revenge Manmaru The Ninja Penguin TowerFall series Celeste Super Mario Maker series Crystal Caves M.C. Kids Super Mario series The Matrix (1999) Keanu Reeves Joe Pantoliano Carrie-Anne Moss Hugo Weaving Laurence Fishburne Tatanga Anthony Ray Parker Matt Doran Marcus Chong Gloria Foster Super Mario Bros. (1993) Max Headroom Sonic the Hedgehog universe Kingdom Hearts series Katamari series Mini Metro Silent Hill 3 Fez Activision Blizzard's New Diversity Game Tool Comes Across Terribly Saudi Arabia Now Owns 5% Of Nintendo Super Ghouls 'N Ghosts Legend of Zelda series Landstalker Gunstar Heroes Bokura no Kazoku Gunhouse X-Men Final Fantasy VI Phish God of War Ragnarök accessibility features revealed Elden Ring Contra series Recommendations: Frank: Find and play the Titanic platformer made by Dragon Co. Tim: Don't play Wolverine: Adamantium Rage (or do) Maddy: V Rising Brandon: Don't add Amazon Prime Movies to your list at the end of the month, Lacroix Despheres Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Tim Rogers, Brandon Sheffield and Maddy Thorson. Edited by Esper Quinn. Original Music by Kurt Feldman.

Will McCloy is joined by Annie Emmerson and Chris McCormack for the latest episode of The Short Chute Show, brought to you by Humango, Super League Triathlon's official training partner. In this week's episode the team discuss an incredible week of racing with the Arena Games Triathlon Powered by Zwift finale in Singapore, and the first race WTCS race of 2022 in Yokohama, Japan. Are we entering a new era of dominance in triathlon, as Alex Yee and Hayden Wilde appear untouchable on the men's side? Meanwhile, in the women's race, there was heart break for some, and euphoria for others, as Jess Learmonth battled injury and Zsanett Bragmayer stormed to a shock victory in Singapore, out running Beth Potter in the final stage. To round things off, long distance legend Tim Don gives us the low down on all things St. George from the IRONMAN World Championships. Once again, we are also joined by expert triathlon coach Lance Watson from Humango. From 12 minute Super League racing to 8 hr plus long distance epics, Lance gives us insight into different distances and different conditions, and discusses the 'once in a generation' athletes that exceed in all racing formats.

Nathan Ford is defying the odds. The South Walian was told he would never walk again, following a cycling accident during the British Middle Distance Triathlon Championships in 2021. He doesn't remember the accident, which resulted in a spinal cord injury and a brain injury. Nathan talks to us 8months on, about his living nightmare of 208 nights in hospital during Covid, the rehabilitation programme he is on and his future goals. This is a very special conversation. Please be aware this episode mentions suicide and you might find some of the conversation disturbing. You'll hear: 09:30 Nathan talks about Hobb's Rehabiliation Centre in Bristol, where he undergoes 3-4 hours of physio each day, and occupational therapy too. Nathan talks about the minuscule improvements he is making and how he struggles to see progress. 13:00 Nathan talks about the negative days 'it is really tough on some days and there would be an easy way out of it all, and days like that I have to think of family and friends and the support I have had from people.' Nathan talks about the support he has had from people like https://www.instagram.com/davidsmithmbe/?hl=en (David Smith MBE) who tell him that there is light at the end of tunnel. 16:00 The Go Fund Me page that has raised over £108,000 which helps Nathan to cover some of the costs of his rehabilitation. The physio centre costs £100/hour. 18:45 The strength that Nathan's wife Catrin has shown since his accident. She has been incredible, and how she manages to juggle their coaching, business, working and looking after their dog Archie. 20:20 Nathan talks about his coaching business and how his athletes have supported them. "I missed it so much when I was in hospital." 23:20 How Nathan finds the positives in the fact he is alive and the fact that he has such a supportive community around him. In this situation, you have to remain positive, it is the only way to move forward. 28:00 Nathan explains how challenging every day tasks are, like bending down to pick something up off the floor. 'I'm never happy, I'm never satisfied. There is always something better that I could do. Even brushing my teeth is really difficult. Taking a t-shirt off in the morning takes about 10-15 minutes. I'm not able to tie my shoes. Going through a morning routine can take up to 2 hours. 34:00 Where does Nathan see himself? "I would love to be in a position that I can do sport again. If I am able to walk independently around the house and do day to day tasks that's what I have in my head. 35:20 You might find this part disturbing: Nathan describes the 208 days in 3 different hospitals as 'a living nightmare.' I hated every second of it. Covid made everything that much harder. You are in your own room for 23 hours a day, staring at the ceiling, staring at the walls." 38:20 Nathan explains why he chose to have a halo for 14 weeks, rather than an operation to fuse his neck. He explains he was aware of because of Tim Don and "The Halo" documentary. Nathan then spent months in a brace, so he was restricted for 5.5 months in total. 46:10 Nathan talks about his biggest fear is not getting to where he wants to be. I know where I want to be and where I want to get and if I don't get there, what's going to happen. But I just have to think I will get there and then I can look forward. 47:30 Before I had this accident, I thought I lived every day as my last, but I didn't really do that. Now, looking back at what I have been through and I would say to anyone now, live every day as if it's your last. If you want to do something, do it. Find out more about this week's guests Nathan Ford https://www.instagram.com/nathanfordtriathlon/?hl=en (Instagram) Nathan's https://www.gofundme.com/f/nathan-ford (Go Fund Me) page Listen to the podcast to get your exclusive listener discount of £100 off entry to https://beyondtheultimate.co.uk/ultra/the-highland-ultra-marathon-2021/#!/2023 (Beyond the...

In this St George Special with David McNamee, Tim Don and Matt Lieto, the trio banter about St George, Kona and how David McNamee wants to take over the Zwift PowerUp Tri Podcast!  

Will McCloy is joined by Tim Don, Annie Emmerson and Chris McCormack for the latest episode of The Short Chute Show, brought to you by Humango, Super League Triathlon's official training partner. This week, the crew will break down Cassandre Beaugrande's impeccable performance at Arena Games Triathlon London Powered by Zwift where she "did a Beth Potter to Beth Potter”, discuss Justus Nieschlag's dominance in Arena Games format, including his surprise victory over Alex Yee, and make their predictions on who will be crowned the first ever Arena Games Triathlon World Champions. This week, we also introduce a new segment, Coaches Corner by Humango expert and triathlon coach Lance Watson, who will break down how athletes should approach this unique Arena Games format.

In this episode: Staying hydrated is an important contributor to success in endurance racing especially in warmer environments. A product that has been around in Oceania and is now available in the US has it's roots as an oral rehydration solution for children with cholera. It's makers claim that the same technology that works to improve outcomes in diarrheal illness make it a 'revolutionary hydration product' for athletes as well. Is this claim backed up by science? I take a look. Plus an interview with the man in the halo, professional triathlete Tim Don whose recovery from a dramatic injury is representative to many of what triathlon is about-overcoming tremendous adversity through hard work and dedication to achieve a goal. Through it all, Tim has retained the infectious smile and affable qualities that have made him one of the more popular athletes on the circuit. We discuss his history in the sport, his injury and recovery and where he goes next. Segments: [06:23]- PREPD [21:12]- Tim Don Links Tim's website https://www.facebook.com/groups/995516284503962/ (TriDoc Podcast FB group)

The crew are back together for the first Short Chute Show of the 2022 season, Will McCloy is joined by Annie Emmerson, Tim Don and Chris 'Macca' McCormack to chat all things triathlon ahead of the first Arena Games Triathlon in Munich.

Tim Don is a professional triathlete from the United Kingdom. Tim has four world championship titles, 3 Olympic games selections, two IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship podiums, and 1 IRONMAN World Record. Tim was struck by a car while riding along the Queen K highway in Kailua Kona, HI, in 2017 - just days before the 2017 IRONMAN World Championship. Tim spent the next three months recovering in a neck brace. Just six months after he was injured, Tim returned to compete in the 2018 Boston Marathon where he finished in a time of 2:49:42. Listen to hear Tim tell us his unique story and how he's used his past experience to propel him forward as a triathlete, coach, and more.   Learn more about Tim: Website: https://www.timdon.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/trithedon/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/trithedon Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tri_thedon/   Listen to more shows at mikereilly.net/podcast

Matt Lieto sat down with Sarah True and Tim Don to discuss their recent trip to the Specialized Win Tunnel in Morgan Hill, California with the Zwift Academy Tri Team, as well as their recon of the St. George World Championships course. 

Tim Don has been a fierce competitor a peer, and a friend, for almost 20 years.  He has an unbelievable resume of performances which includes 4 world champion titles, 3 Olympic Games, and a world record in the Ironman of 7.40.23, but this is only one part of this man's journey.  Three days prior to the 2017 Kona Ironman World Championships, where he was a heavy favorite he was struck by a car and broke a vertebra in his neck. His process in dealing with this incredible setback and his journey back to the top of the world is truly one of the most inspiring stories you will ever hear.

Vincent Luis joins us to talk about Invincible, the behind the scenes documentary that followed him through the 2021 season. Will mcCloy, Tim Don and Annie Emmerson break down the biggest talking points in triathlon including Kristian Blummenfelt's IM world record and Sub7 project and a review of the best moments of the 2021 triathlon season. "The noise of the crowd, and the racing, and to see Super League back out there on the road, in one of the world's biggest cities. It still gives me goosebumps today" Watch the full series - https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLf2q7hH-_TymjX7dnD5PQgNtIgOL0UjC6

Emma Pallant-Browne discusses how she has shaken off the imposter syndrome to become one of the best triathletes in the world. The former U23 European Cross Country Champion switched to triathlon in 2012, but admits she felt out of place in triathlon for a long time. But 2021 has been a stellar season for the British born triathlete who now lives in South Africa with her husband Jared and their dogs. You'll hear: 35:00 Why she approached Tim Don for coaching 'he's made me believe I can be a biker' I haven't been good at pacing in the past, but he is so knowledgable and reads about everything that is coming out. 39:00 Patience and the art of going slow. When you are competitive in sport, you almost crave that big push and because I was running at such a young age, it was game on from the word go and I guess you develop habits. 40:35 Emma talks about her first experience of training in Kenya, when she was with British Athletics. 'we were the first white people there and the kids would run along with us. It was such a humbling experience and as a camp, I really enjoyed it as really simple living. 43:30 I feel more like a rounded athlete and I feel like I am understanding the sport more, I can respect my body more. Emma also talks about confidence and believing in herself. 48:30 Learning not to beat herself up after a race, thanks to her husband Jared. "When I had my first bad race with him, he was really relaxed and that has rubbed off on me over time. If you have done the best you can leading up to a race and in the race, then you can't do anything about it. 'A happy athlete is a faster athlete. You have to enjoy the sport and love what you do. When you put a lot of pressure on yourself, you can easily lose sight of the enjoyment if you're not surrounded by good people." 57:30 I feel like I am more balanced. I never had that balance before and I am performing better. 1:00:55 Tim Don has told Emma he thinks she can be a really good Ironman athlete. 1:05:00 Why Emma won't be getting into the gravel biking scene any time soon. 1:07:42 Her experience of being mentored by double Olympic gold medallist Kelly Holmes, through 'On Camp with Kelly' 'Everyone still keeps in touch, she created something pretty massive' and what Emma is doing to give back in South Africa too. Also this week! 03:10 Dov Tate from Parcours Wheels has a lowdown on gravel biking, what is it and some tips on how to get into it. 16:42 Sonny Peart talks all about his experience of Beyond the Ultimate's Highland Ultra. Find out more about this week's guests Emma Pallant Browne https://z-p3.www.instagram.com/em_pallant/ (Instagram) https://z-p3.www.instagram.com/runnysonny/ (Sonny Peart) from https://z-p3.www.instagram.com/blacktrailrunners/ (Black Trail Runners) talks about https://z-p3.www.instagram.com/beyondtheultimate/ (Beyond the Ultimate)'s Highland Ultra Dov Tate from https://www.instagram.com/rideparcours/?hl=en (Parcours Wheels) - visit the https://www.parcours.cc/ (Parcours website) to find out more. Like what you heard? Let me know! Connect with Inside Tri Show across Social Media, just search Inside Tri Show or click on the icons below https://www.patreon.com/insidetrishow (GET YOUR HANDS ON AN EXCLUSIVE EPISODE!) Sign up to be a vino buddy or a training buddy on Patreon and get your hands on the latest patrons-only exclusive episode, a brilliant behind the scenes audio diary of my recent Lands End-John O'Groats cycling adventure that you won't hear elsewhere. You can still support me and support the show by clicking https://www.patreon.com/insidetrishow (here) to buy me a coffee every so often by https://www.patreon.com/insidetrishow (becoming a Patron of the Inside Tri Show). Sponsors of the show https://resilientnutrition.com/discount/insidetri10 (Long Range Fuel) are phenomenally tasty nut butters from Resilient Nutrition, enhanced by cutting edge science, to boost your stamina,... Support this podcast

Emma Pallant-Browne has had a stellar 2022, with three 70.3 wins, 3 more 70.3 podiums, 3rd fastest of the day at the Collins Cup, and 5th place at the Ironman 70.3 World Championships in St. George. The former two time World Duathlon Champion has used the time in lockdown to really work on her swimming, under the guidance of new coach Tim Don, and feels she's made the transition to ‘complete triathlete.' She's got a great story, and of particular interest is her work with Precision Hydration to build and refine a hydration, electrolyte and fuel strategy that she feels has really taken her to the next level this year. Sponsorshttps://www.precisionhydration.com/ - Multi-strength electrolytes that match how you sweat, and Precision Fuel 30 Gel and Drink mix to ensure enough carbohydrate to perform at your best. Get 15% off your first order With the code OXYGENADDICT15· Take the Quick Carb Calculator· Take the Free online Sweat Test· Book a free 20-minute hydration and fueling strategy video consultationLike what you heard in this interview? Join hundreds of other age group triathletes making the most of their limited training time, training with Team OxygenAddict! http://team.oxygenaddict.com - The most comprehensive triathlon coaching program for busy age groupers. To find out more, You can book a zoom, phone or skype call with Rob or the Team here Join the Oxygenaddict Triathlon Community page on facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/666558563716897/Listen on Spotify: http://bit.ly/OATriPodSpotifyListen on iTunes: http://bit.ly/OATriPodiTunes

This week we have another all British show! We're talking to Tim Don—the Olympian and former Ironman world record holder is maybe best known these days as "the man with the halo," after breaking his neck when he was hit by a car in Kona and spending months in a halo device that was screwed into his skull and held his neck in place. He came back from that to run the Boston Marathon and race Kona. Now we talk about all the things he's involved in: serving as a team captain for Super League, a back-up guide for the Paralympics, and don't count him out yet at the age of 43, he's training in the UK rain and getting ready for next year's races. He's also a dad and his kids interrupt us a couple times, because they want to play! We also first do a quick preview of the showdown going on this weekend at Ironman California and why the pros are battling for end-of-year rankings. For more questions with Tim, check out our Q&A on Super League and what's next at Triathlete. This week's episode is brought to you by Muc-Off, the world's fastest race lube.

This week we have another all British show! We're talking to Tim Don—the Olympian and former Ironman world record holder is maybe best known these days as "the man with the halo," after breaking his neck when he was hit by a car in Kona and spending months in a halo device that was screwed into his skull and held his neck in place. He came back from that to run the Boston Marathon and race Kona. Now we talk about all the things he's involved in: serving as a team captain for Super League, a back-up guide for the Paralympics, and don't count him out yet at the age of 43, he's training in the UK rain and getting ready for next year's races. He's also a dad and his kids interrupt us a couple times, because they want to play! We also first do a quick preview of the showdown going on this weekend at Ironman California and why the pros are battling for end-of-year rankings. For more questions with Tim, check out our Q&A on Super League and what's next at Triathlete. This week's episode is brought to you by Muc-Off, the world's fastest race lube.

What an epic weekend of racing to end the SLT Championship Series. Georgia Taylor-Brown stole the series title from Jess Learmonth and Alex Yee produced a heroic sprint to clinch the race and the series in a photo finish. Tim Don, Annie Emmerson and Chris 'Macca' McCormack join Will McCloy to discuss everything Super League Triathlon!

This week, Anne's guest is Tim Heller, who's currently recording his vocal clone.  Ready to evolve with AI? Lots of doom & gloom out there lately about AI “stealing” voice acting jobs, which means now's the time to get educated and learn to evolve with new technology. In this episode, voice actor Tim Heller shares his AI experience - choosing an ethical company, the benefits of creating a clone, the role of human voice actors, the importance of emotion, and more…  Find out how AI can help rock your business #VOBOSS style! About Tim Tim Heller is an actor and voice actor based in Austin, TX. He's voiced VR trainings for the Air Force, commercials for Fox Sports, ads for Spotify, ADR and dubbing for international cartoons & animated features, corporate narration projects, and eLearning modules around the globe. Recently, Tim was interviewed in the BBC article “Voice Cloning of Growing Interest to Actors and CyberCriminals.” Top 10 Takeaways An AI voice clone could be a way for talent to increase passive income streams. Voice actors must properly record an AI voice for it to be successful. Look for a company that has a clear and fair user agreement and offers licensing opportunities. Don't know who to trust? Seek companies that provide an open communication flow and opportunities to ask questions. Get it in writing - all agreements between you and the company should be part of a contract before recording. An ethical company will give you control over how your voice clone is used. The actual process of creating a voice clone is very expensive, so expect the company you are working with to take a portion of your AI earnings. Avoid fear in the AI sphere. Stay curious and ask questions so you and the companies you work with can learn together. AI voices aren't meant to replace humans, but should allow for quicker turnarounds and greater content accessibility options. Being human is your job security - clones can't fabricate emotion, so use yours to its best advantage! References in this episode Learn more about VocalID >> Visit Tim's website at TimHellerVO.com >> Recorded on ipDTL >> Transcript >> It's time to take your business to the next level, the BOSS level! These are the premiere Business Owner Strategies and Successes being utilized by the industry's top talent today. Rock your business like a BOSS, a VO BOSS! Now let's welcome your host, Anne Ganguzza. Anne: Hey everyone. Welcome to the VO BOSS podcast, the AI and Voice series. I'm your host Anne Ganguzza, and today I'm excited to have special guest Tim Heller, who is an actor and voice actor based out of Austin, Texas. Tim has a long line of credits here and has voiced VR trainings for the Air Force, TV commercials for Fox Sports, podcast advertisements for Spotify, ADR and dubbing for international cartoons and animated features. And he's also voiced, of course, my favorite, corporate narrations, children's English e-learning modules in Korea and done local commercials and more. And so he also, before he got into VO was in musical theater and plays in New York City and around the world with some on-camera jobs mixed in there as well. Hoo, wow. Tim: Hoo. Anne: A multitalented [laughs] guest. Thank you so much for joining me, Tim. It's wonderful to have you here today. Tim: Yeah. Thank you so much for having me on, Anne. I'm excited to be here. Anne: Well, you have been in the news lately. I've read quite a bit of press with you in the news. And at first, I guess, saw and met you. And I'm not quite sure how I don't know you already, what with that long list of credits, but I saw you in the article from the BBC news that was en- -- it was a great article, but it was entitled "Voice Cloning of Growing Interest to Actors and CyberCriminals." Always -- Tim: Yes. Not -- not scary -- Anne: -- a little bit of click bait there. Tim: -- at all, right? Yeah, exactly. [laughs] Anne: But the article I thought had a really positive spin on it, but yet they put that title on there to associate, I feel like, oh, are you associating voice actors and cyber criminals? Like in the same -- Tim: Yeah, I got, you know, I had a lot of people reaching out to me afterwards saying, you know, are you, so which one are you? Are you a cyber criminal or a voice actor? I said, well, guess you're just going to have to find out, huh? Anne: Oh gosh. So, you know, I've interviewed quite a few people already for this Voice and AI series, and I've noticed a kind of a trend with what a lot of people will say as a pro of having an AI voice. And they use the argument that it's all about adding work for the voice actor. So I guess I'd like to ask you, first of all, how do you feel about that? What do you feel is the benefit of having an AI voice in your repertoire of talents and skills? Tim: Yeah, so initially I, like, I thought that it would be a great tool to have just to future-proof my job. I sought out more information and tried speaking with lots of different people and ultimately ended up meeting Rupal Patel with VocalID, just because I was curious about like where things were going, and where people thought they were going, and hearing Jim Connelly talk about -- like, he's always thinking about what's next. And so through my experience with Rupal and VocalID, I feel like it is, it is potentially adding more work, work that I wouldn't necessarily have to book a session out in my studio, for which believe me never upset to book my studio up for a session. And I, and I love my job. And so I'm not trying to work less or get rid of any work that could potentially come in. But -- Anne: Well, I think that's a good clarification because I think if I talk to many voice actors, they would say, well, I don't think it's a matter of getting more work, I don't have a problem handling more work. But I don't think that it, it really grabs voice actors in the way that people are trying to sell it. You know, like, oh, you can do more work. And I don't know really many voice actors that say, well, I'm really, I can't handle the amount of work I'm getting. So -- Tim: Yeah, oh gosh, I'm just double-booked all the time. Poor me. Anne: Yeah, that's, that's a very interesting spin on it, but I will say that, I think that it's really good for us to hear these things because there are perceptions out there, right? And these perceptions come from people who we sell our voices to. Tim: Yeah. Anne: So I think it's good for us to really get an idea as to like what their perception is and what their ideas are about voicing, and you know, what it takes to voice and what our job really entails. Tim: Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. I agree. And it's, you know, like, so many people have said before on your series, which also thank you so much for doing this whole series on voice and AI with so many different perspectives. Anne: Thank you. Tim: It's so diverse, and educational, and fascinating just to hear like how different companies are approaching all of this, you know? But so many people have said too, that you can't just take like our conversation that we're having right now, rip my voice, and then have a, like a beautiful clone of, of me or -- and you can also just do like five minutes of like the "Cat in the Hat," you know. It's, it is, it takes a voice actor to properly take direction to, you know, recite these prompts that they have in the VocalID interface. And it's still a skill to have. And so I think it's -- Anne: So anybody off the street, if we had hours, and if we had -- I'm just going to say, I know that there are some companies out there that might have a lot of media, a lot of media, of people, of celebrities, of, you know, people in the entertainment industry. And they theoretically don't need a whole lot of additional material in order to create a voice. However, I think the big thing, and I want to get into a discussion about ethics with you, the big thing is the licensing, right? Tim: Yeah, absolutely. Anne: And how can we protect, you know -- we might have audio out there. As a matter of fact, I have a ton of podcasts out there, and who's to say that somebody isn't going to go download those MP3s and create a voice. Tim: Yeah. Yeah. I mean, yeah. The ethical side of all of this is fascinating as well, because it is kind of still the wild west with, especially, I feel like between everything that happened with, like starting with Bev Standing and TikTok, and then from that point, it seems like every couple days, there's something new and fire and brimstone about AI coming out. Anne: But I think that could be good. Tim: Yeah. I think, I mean, it's, it's getting people talking, right? Anne: Right. Tim: It's, and it's -- Anne: And it's getting people in action, right? In, in action -- Tim: Exactly, yes. Anne: -- to get something done, to get laws enacted. Tim: Yes. And it's, and so, and it's unfortunate, and I wouldn't wish this on anybody, for anybody to have to go through any of that, but now we're talking about it. Now, we're like, when you work with people doing AI clones and stuff, you know, I've said this before is that you really need to make sure you're vetting who you're working with. Anne: Yeah. Tim: And I got very, very lucky that Rupal was already working with a couple of colleagues of mine in the VO world and with Jim and Sam at Lotas, like, and people who are incredibly trustworthy and, you know, really forward-thinking and trying to protect everybody involved. So. Anne: Mm-hmm. Tim: Yeah. Anne: I think that's a very, very important point. And I actually, one of my questions was going to be, what was your process in selecting VocalID and the people that you work with? What was your process in selecting them? Because I think that is now become a factor for people that might be considering having their voice cloned or having a voice dub, is working with a company because obviously we can't do it. We have to hire a company that can do that for us. And so I think that there's something to be said for vetting the company that you work with. What are the qualities of the company that you think voice talent should look for in regards to when they want to create an AI voice? Tim: In terms of my process with finding a VocalID, it started off as just kind of like a conversation with -- a check-in with a voice actor friend of mine when I was still in New York City. And I was hearing him talk about, you know, recording these prompts for this, like, AI clone voice that he was doing with Jim and Sam. And I was fascinated by it. And then a couple months went by, the pandemic started, and I kind of forgot about it. And then when we moved down to Texas, through like an entrepreneur group that I'm in, got connected to Rupal in a completely different way. And so through that conversation, finding out that we had all these mutual connections and stuff like that -- and it was a face-to-face conversation too, at least through Zoom. And that's something that's important to me. I love when I'm able to like, especially in a business setting, be able to have -- like look at somebody and really talk with them and not just communicate through email for something that's really felt as high stakes as this could potentially be. So with Rupal, she started off the meeting with just kind of the backstory of why VocalID was initially created. And I think she mentioned on, on her episode on your podcast, that it initially was created to help people who lost their power of speech. And so that was something that spoke to me as well, that like, okay, this isn't a company that's just like -- Anne: Yes. Tim: -- okay, where is that cash cow? How can we milk it and, and move on? Anne: Well, and she's been around too a little bit longer than -- it just seems like lately, there's just a ton of that have sprung up out of nowhere -- Tim: Yeah. Anne: -- creating AI voices. And so I think she's got some longevity to her having started, I think it was back in -- what was it? 2014. I'm not sure when she started. Tim: I'm not sure either. Anne: It's been a while though. Tim: But it's also coming from like an academic background too, like really having, like, I think -- something I always try to do is surround myself with people who are a lot smarter and better than I am. And so I think meeting Rupal really knocked that out of the park. And so really focusing on like the ethical side of things and she -- we have a contract that, you know, for the, for recording my dub, and I didn't even have to ask the questions of, okay, well, what if I don't want to do a project? Or how is this protected? She had everything laid out already. And, and the fact that she was working with Lotas, you know, like if you can really vet somebody by finding out who you know in common or asking people in the industry -- like for instance, I had another company reach out to me that was interested in cloning my voice again. And so like reaching out to the people that I know now through all of this and, and really trying to figure out who they are, and what they're doing, and making sure you're not stepping on anybody's toes. But does that kind of answer the question? Anne: And looking at every contract. Tim: Yes. Oh my gosh, contracts, contracts. Anne: You know, I actually have employed the services of my lawyer more than once in terms of looking at a contract. And I think that for today, it is so important that when we're talking about AI voices that maybe a lawyer get involved. I think it's a worthy investment to really check out those contracts. Tim: I agree. And you know, I've only been doing voiceover for three and a half years and full-time for the last year and a half. And so I haven't really needed a lawyer for any of this yet, but now that I've got my -- my dub has been fully created and I got my first job request today for it -- Anne: Ooh, congratulations. Tim: Thanks. I was, I was like, whoa, this is kind of cool. I don't know what to do next, but we're going to figure it out together. But it's definitely at the point where I do think that it is necessary to bring a lawyer into make sure that like everything going forward is protected for, for me and for VocalID, but -- Anne: Absolutely. Tim: -- yeah. Anne: And that you're fairly compensated. Tim: Exactly. Anne: Yes. Tim: And that's a whole other thing too, that I've gotten a lot of questions about since the BBC stuff came out, is that, like, can you charge the same amount? And it's right now, the answer is, is no, right? Yeah, because it's, I'm not the one that's going to be spending an hour or 20 minutes or whatever it is to book out my studio and do it. Anne: Your time is not necessarily required at this point. Tim: Right. Anne: To create that. Tim: And it costs a lot of money to create this dub. And so I'm not the one who has that machine learning and that computer who's running everything. Anne: Sure. Tim: I provided my voice, and I was able to build this for free because they're working on building it up and really polishing it to turn it into something that's more commercially friendly. Anne: Well, I, I should make note that companies are now charging to have your AI voice be created. Tim: Wow. Anne: And so it's absolutely, that's going to be -- Tim: Yeah. Anne: -- you know, that's going to be an industry there. So I don't necessarily want the BOSS listeners out there to think that they may necessarily have their voice just created. As a matter of fact, there have been some auditions that I've seen out there for TTS projects where I think they may or may not state that it's going to be used for creating a, a dub after that. But there has been some low pay per hour I've seen, and everybody's like run, don't, you know, don't audition for that. And it's interesting because I guess you have to figure out really, who is this company vet that company. And if you can, like you mentioned, meet face to face with the people from that company, are they transparent about the usage and what's going to be happening? And, and I of course would say to everybody at this point, I think it's great to get a lawyer involved. Even if the contract seems like it's got everything specked out, I would suggest that that would be a good thing to do. Tim: Yeah. It can't hurt. And, and with the vetting of the companies too, like I find that if you are just curious and really honestly, anything around AI is just -- with all the fire and brimstone posts that I've been seeing all over social media and in the news about all of this and like kind of damning those who are involved in it from other industry professionals, it's like, if we can just like, stay curious, ask questions and be kind, just like, just seek that understanding out. I think that's, like, the most important thing is that don't just take anybody else's word for it. Anne: Sure. Tim: Don't just believe like one article you read, but really like ask those questions. Anne: Sure. Tim: And so trying to make myself available to those who are curious or who are upset and afraid, and it's like, it's totally fine to be either/or. Anne: And, and understand that there will be clickbait [laughs] Tim: Oh yes. Anne: in terms of the publicity around this. There's going to be a lot of clickbait just because it is a very current, relevant topic of today. And it's not just people in the voiceover industry that are afraid of the robots or AI taking their jobs away. So there's going to be a lot of, I'm going to say, a lot of that going on. And so I think we just need to make educated decisions. So let's talk a little bit about how you've actually created the voice. Let's talk about that process. What did that involve? Tim: Yeah. So the way that VocalID works is that once you are brought on and sign the contract and everything is squared away, legally you get login information for their own interface online. So it's not me recording prompts into Logic on my own system. I'm actually recording directly into their interface, and it goes kind of line by line, and it's like different speeches or children's books just to capture all those individual phonemes that we create with speech, where I think with traditional text-to-speech modules like Siri or Google or any of those assistants, you record those prompts, and then it pieces those exact prompts together, where with this, it's really building it from scratch completely. And then you can manipulate it phonetically or modulate the pitch or change inflections on things. And it's, it's really, it's wild technology. It's really cool. Anne: So I've seen some of the technologies now that say that they can literally change emotion. I mean, have you seen that? I mean, what are your thoughts about that? I think that's a, I don't know. It's, there's so many nuances of human emotion, and to me -- Tim: Yeah. Anne: -- and I'm a tech girl, and I'm trying to envision and understand because that's what I always do. I mean, I was in technology for 20 years, so I'm trying to understand the process. And is it possible -- you know, we have, I want to say infinite amount of nuances as a human -- Tim: Yeah. Anne: -- and I don't know how possible that is to dial that emotion in like a straight, linear fashion, right? Like, oh, let's do -- Tim: It's hard because -- Anne: 20% happy. Let's do 40% happy. Tim: Yeah, exactly, 'cause like, what is that 20%? The 20% happy is going to be different for every person and different for every subject that you're talking about. So I think that alone, like having emotion and being human is our job security in the industry, right? Anne: Yeah. Tim: Like computers will not do stuff that we don't explicitly tell them to do. And so it's, you know, with the emotion side of things, I think it's, it has potential, but I think that it's hard to get it to really convey sadness. 'Cause then you have to like, you have to break down sadness then into code, into an equation. Okay. It's like -- Anne: Into an algorithm. Tim: Yes, exactly. So it's fascinating and wild to play around with, but I don't think like that true human emotion is there yet. And it might not be like what the point of having an AI voice is. Anne: Oh, I'm so glad you said that. It's exactly, it may not be the point. And I think a lot of people are just so afraid of, like, the ultimate, oh my God, it's bad. It's going to replace us. But I think that there's going to, in, in a few years, there's going to be like, it'll settle, it'll evolve into here's where it belongs or here's where it fits best. And it may not be -- I mean, I still believe that there's always going to be room for humans. Tim: Yeah. Anne: And I don't know if they'll try to develop the technology to make it sound completely human. I don't know if it's even possible. And again, humans are the ones that are creating the technology. Tim: Yeah. Yeah. And the company that just came out with the, they did the audio for the DLC, for The Witcher 3 expansion. Anne: Mm-hmm, yeah. Tim: I listened to some of their samples on their site. And in that sounds like pretty realistic, but that's also like that character is -- it's old right here and it's all very upset. Anne: Yeah. Tim: And it's like, it's very, it's not incredibly dynamic. That voice actor who voices him is dynamic and gives the dynamic performance. But like for, for that kind of stuff, like that can come in handy. That's where an AI voice is great because then they can just pick that up and it's quick. But right now I feel like it's more so along the lines of that e-learning, the traditional text-to-speech stuff, IVR, and it's not -- we're not looking to replace the human experience or the human emotion, right? It's just something to kind of augment -- Anne: Well, we aren't. [laughs] Tim: We aren't. I'm sure that there are companies that are working towards that. And I'm sure we'll see that at some point, right? Anne: Yeah, but you're right. There's going to be an attempt. I'm sure there's going to be attempts. Tim: Yeah. Anne: And it's, I think that's just the evolution. And again, it's not just affecting the voiceover industry. I think we're just here in a little bubble sometimes, and we need to really try to -- well, we really need to really try to, to see AI for what it is and try to evolve along with it. So let me ask you a question. How are you intending or how are you marketing your AI voice? Tim: That's something I'm still working on. It's a great question. So Rupal asked if I'd be interested in putting my AI profile on Voice123, and Rolf and their team has been working on putting these profiles on there just to try to get ahead of things and stay with the movement of AI. And so I agreed to do that, and I've got a profile on there, and then trying to figure out like what samples, like I have some samples I'm going to put on my website, and a little like VocalID badge, but it's going to be, it's still kind of in process of like, okay, how do I pitch this to clients too, or to potential new clients? And so I think it's going to be reaching out to those people like that you've brought onto your podcast, like Hugh -- Anne: Sure. Tim: -- that would have a better idea of like, okay, well, if you pitch it to this company for this reason, then that would be best case scenario, you know? But I think it's going to change a lot. Anne: This is great. I'm thinking so if you have it marketed through a pay-to-play, I think we need to make sure how are we being protected legally? How are our voices being protected? Are their usage -- is there something that's going to be put in place that will protect us if we sell it through that? Or if you sell it on your own, how are you negotiating that -- you creating a contract, I would think, I would hope, that you would create a contract that would -- and well, normally, I think in our emails, we specify usage and, and all of that. And I think that the same thing absolutely has to be for your AI voice. And again, I'm at this point, because of the newness of it all and the wild, wild west of it all, I'm always happy to have somebody consult with me that's in the legal field -- Tim: Totally. Anne: -- just to make sure that when I'm first starting to negotiate that voice, I wouldn't want that voice to be used for any purpose other than what it was intended. I would not want it to be sold. I would not want to say things that I didn't agree to with that voice. Tim: Yeah. Anne: And so I think that that's very important. So I commend you [laughs] for going ahead and, and delving into the new world of technology here, and kind of really you're, you're testing the waters. You're on the, I always call it the bleeding edge of technology. Tim: I love that. Anne: There has to be, you know, we have our trials, we have our, our successes and our failures, and that's how we all evolve and move forward and learn. And so I wish you all the luck with your AI voice and congrats on your job [laughs] on your first job. Tim: Thanks. We'll see how it goes. Anne: Yeah, absolutely. And we'll, we'll keep in touch with you. And so I thank you so much for spending time with us this morning and sharing your story with the BOSSes. And I am excited to hear about where your voice will go. Tim: Thank you so much, Anne. Yeah. Thank you so much for having me on and give me the opportunity to speak on this. And if any of the VO BOSSes out there have any questions, I'm, I'm here. Anne: Yes. Tim: You know, I'm easy to find. Anne: Absolutely, how can they get in touch with you? Tim: You can either reach me through my website TimHellerVO.com or @TimHellerVO on all the social platforms. So. Anne: Perfect. Tim: Yeah. Anne: Awesome. Well, thanks again. I'm going to give a great, big shout-out to our sponsor, ipDTL. You too can connect to like BOSSes and learn more at ipdtl.com. You guys, have an amazing week, and we'll see you next week. Bye! Tim: Bye! >> Join us next week for another edition of VO BOSS with your host Anne Ganguzza. And take your business to the next level. Sign up for our mailing list at voBOSS.com and receive exclusive content, industry revolutionizing tips and strategies, and new ways to rock your business like a BOSS. Redistribution with permission. Coast to Coast connectivity via ipDTL. CONNECT + FOLLOW TWITTER @vo_boss INSTAGRAM @vo_boss FACEBOOK /VO BOSS YOUTUBE VO BOSS SUBSCRIBE YOUTUBE https://www.youtube.com/c/VOBOSS SPOTIFY https://rb.gy/meopx8 APPLE PODCASTS https://rb.gy/chdamm AMAZON MUSIC https://rb.gy/luw83x GOOGLE PODCASTS https://rb.gy/koc3ls STITCHER https://rb.gy/hslkgj TUNEIN http://tun.in/piZHU IHEART RADIO https://rb.gy/uixh90 PANDORA https://rb.gy/knoz7c SPONSORED BY ipDTL: https://ipdtl.com Anne Ganguzza Voice Productions: https://anneganguzza.com

Super League Triathlon Jersey had it all... Disqualifications, sprint finishes and phantom Short Chutes. Will McCloy is joined by The SLT Eagles manager Tim Don, his champions Alex Yee and Jess Learmonth as well as Annie Emmerson and Chris 'Macca' McCormack to break down everything that did and didn't happen in Jersey.

Join Will McCloy, Tim Don & Annie Emmerson as they break down the key talking points from SLT London and look forward to Munich.

Love triathlon? Love rugby? Love Wales? Then this episode is for you! Former Wales international Shane Williams talks about his journey from being one of the best wings in the world, to being a multiple Ironman finisher. The 5ft7 wing who was International Player of the Year in 2008, won 87 caps for Wales and made multiple appearances for the British and Irish Lions. Since retiring, he has turned his hand to endurance sports and has been a regular at Ironman Wales. You'll hear: 06:30 The trigger for getting into triathlon 09:00 His first Ironman Wales 'At times, I absolutely hated it, but at times I absolutely loved it. From start to finish I was absolutely petrified.' 12:30 How he got the likes of Ian Gough and Ryan Jones involved. 15:00 The difference between the physical pain of playing rugby and doing a triathlon 18:00 Dark places on the rugby pitch Vs dark places in a race 25:10 Which rugby player would he most like to race against in a triathlon and who would be in his ideal triathlon relay from the rugby world? 36:00 How his nutrition differs between when he was a rugby player and now he is training for a triathlon. If anything I pay more attention to my diet now than I did as a professional rugby player. I was told what to eat and when to eat it and I would usually go up for seconds. Does he miss his rugby body? I probably don't. I'm still quite muscly, but my body has changed completely. My body fat is lower than when I was playing. I probably look better now than I did when I was playing rugby, I feel lighter, I'm lighter on my feet. I look completely different and I see pictures of me and I'm probably healthier now then when I was then. 41:44 What tips would he have for anyone doing Ironman Wales. 'The more training you put in, the easier Ironman Wales is and the more you enjoy it on the day. Left no stone unturned in your training and then you will enjoy the day. In 2015 I didn't appreciate how tough it would be and it spat me out. For long periods of that day, I hated it. ' 43:00 Whether he'll be getting his https://fabfourcoffee.com/ (FabFour coffee) founders involved and why he started his own sportswear brand, https://www.agilissport.com/ (Agilis). Also this week: 52:30 Laura Siddall's audio diary from her time as a reserve guide for the British Paratriathlon team at the Tokyo Paralympics, featuring fellow reserve guide Tim Don and bronze medallist Claire Cashmore. Find out more about this week's guests Shane Williams https://www.instagram.com/shanemwilliams/?hl=en (Instagram) Shane's https://fabfourcoffee.com/ (FabFour coffee) and new sportswear brand, https://www.agilissport.com/ (Agilis). Laura Siddall https://www.instagram.com/lmsid/ (Instagram) Resilient Nutrition's Meet the nutter: https://www.instagram.com/1dayadventurer/?hl=en (Jay Worthy) Like what you heard? Let me know! Connect with Inside Tri Show across Social Media, just search Inside Tri Show or click on the icons below https://www.patreon.com/insidetrishow (GET YOUR HANDS ON AN EXCLUSIVE EPISODE!) Sign up to be a vino buddy or a training buddy on Patreon and get your hands on the latest patrons-only exclusive episode, a brilliant behind the scenes audio diary of my recent Lands End-John O'Groats cycling adventure that you won't hear elsewhere. You can still support me and support the show by clicking https://www.patreon.com/insidetrishow (here) to buy me a coffee every so often by https://www.patreon.com/insidetrishow (becoming a Patron of the Inside Tri Show). Sponsors of the show https://resilientnutrition.com/discount/insidetri10 (Long Range Fuel) are phenomenally tasty nut butters from Resilient Nutrition, enhanced by cutting edge science, to boost your stamina, keep you calm and alert and bolster your resilience. Get 10% off by using the code insidetri10 or go direct https://resilientnutrition.com/discount/insidetri10 (via this link). Supporters... Support this podcast

I'm joined in studio by one of the greatest prospects to hit the world of Triathlon, Emma Pallant-Browne. She was an exceptional runner, she just missed the Great Britain Olympic team for the 1500m & 5km at both Beijing and London Olympics. In her short time as a professional Triathlete, she has finished 2nd at the Ironman 70.3 World Champions, won two Duathlon World titles, and won 17 Ironman 70.3's. She has developed her swim and bike to the point she has no weaknesses. And she continues to improve. Her momentum is building. I have zero doubt, I am speaking with the next great champion of the sport of Triathlon. I'm honored that she would take time out of her busy schedule to sit and chat with me. In this episode, Emma describes her journey into the sport of Triathlon from running and how she loves to train hard but loves to race even more. She discusses the importance of her team, specifically her husband Jaryd, and coach Tim Don. We discuss Sleep and recovery, training, mental strategies and so much more in this one. We finish with some fast questions at the end of the show... don't miss these... inspiring, fun, and very entertaining.   See below for Deals and Coupon Codes, Show notes, Timestamps, and Links   Discount Codes and Deals   Athletic Greens - a FREE year supply of Vitamin D AND 5 FREE travel packs with your first purchase by visiting athleticgreens.com/greg   Hyperice - Click https://bit.ly/3jzyFDa for exclusive offers on all Hyperice products or visit at hyperice.com and use the code mentioned in the show   FormSwim Goggles - formswim.com/greg for $15 off - The coupon will be automatically added to the cart. Or use code GREG2021 at checkout.   Athletic Brewing - AthleticBrewing.com   Support the show at https://www.patreon.com/user?u=26936856 "The Greg Bennett Show" -      

On Episode 25 we have the 3rd and final part of our Strength and conditioning chat with Dave Cripps from TriTenacious.Then we have Agegrouper Andy BiggsAndy was Born and went to school in Sussex.  Liked sport but as a late developer and the smallest kid in school year, never excelled.  Going ‘up north' to University in Durham coincided with growth in height and strength, so enjoyed sport more. Got into rowing, and ran as training.  Andy was doing some sport 6 days a week.  Ran his  first half marathon (great North Run 1987 – 1:41)Andy Graduated, stayed in Durham, got married and stopped being consistently athletic.  Ran a Great North Run every three years or so, getting slower each time.After  Ten years of marriage and professional career passed, with two kids along the way  he decided to get consistently fit.  Started running Great North Run every year. Finally beat his time from 1987In 2003 Ran first of 11 marathons (one a year).In 2004 Andy Joined Athletics club (Durham City Harriers) – realised it was very social and welcoming and wished he joined years earlier.In 2009 Peak of speed/fitness.  10K 37:53 5K 18:13  Aged 42. He did his first Sprint Triathlon. Pool swim and used his  offroad, flat handled hybrid bike.  He loved it, but still reckoned Triathlon would be too expensive. Didn't want to buy a wetsuit and flashy bike out of the family budget. In 2010-2013 he focused on Marathon training.  After a (slow) PB at 2013 London Marathon, Andy got fed up with trying to chase three hours and thought about doing something else.So 2010, 2012, 2013 he Bought a road bike and did the Vatternrundan 300km cycle sportive in Sweden with a team from work (they had a factory in Sweden).2014 (aged 47) set new PB for half marathon (1:24:26) – 16 minutes quicker than he ran as a 20-year-old in 1987!In 2014 Andy decided to have a more serious go at Triathlon.  So he bought a wetsuit and had a summer of swim, cycle and running events for charity, culminating in a Standard Triathlon.  Got hooked….!It was 2014 when For a bit of a laugh, Andy thought he would have a go at GB Age group qualification….2015 ETU Sprint Duathlon in Alcobendas, Spain.  Weather that the team manager described as “the worst she's ever seen for a championship event”.  But he Love it nevertheless.  In 2016 Qualification trail – Got Hypothermia at the Oulton Park Spring Duathlon.. yet qualified for Penticton ITU 2017.In 2017 – 2019  Andy completed a further 11 appearances in an Age Group Tri suit.  Went to every World and European Duathlon championship.  Finished nearer the back of the field than the front…..but justified my selection by beating at least one Brit each time.In 2019 Andy Finally swam in GB Kit –he  did Aquabike in Pontevedra and Targu Mures, plus Aquathlon in Targu Mures (one of four ETU events in a week!)In August 2019, Andy had an almost life changing crash off his bike in training, breaking three vertebrae.  He could easily have been dead (if no helmet) or paralysed.  Ended up with a Halo vest just like Tim Don has after his Kona Accident. Out of training action for 5 months.You can Find Dave over at TriTenacious on instagram and YouTubeand find his website TriathlonTenacious.comYou can listen to this AMP episode and all the others on most podcast platforms and now we a have our own YouTube channel : AMP GBFind us Instagram amp_1967Twitter  agegroupmultisportpodcastFacebook AMPGBYouTube GBWebsite is : agegroupmultisportpodcast.buzzsprout.comemail: agegroupmultisportpodcast

En esta edición conversamos acerca de: - El Endurance Run de Runner's Shop - La participación de Alistair Brownlee en Dubai 70.3 - La recuperación de Tim Don y su objetivo de participar en el Boston Marathon 2018 - La importancia de la Vitamina D y por qué existe una deficiencia generalizada en la población atlética y no atlética - Maraton al inicio era completar o no ahora es si es completarlo para poder disfrutar después. Respondimos las preguntas: ¿ Cuál es la mejor cadencia promedio a mantener @ Z3 de potencia en ciclismo para triatlón ? ¿ Cuántos TSS deben acumularse en la porción de ciclismo para Medio Ironman sin afectar la corrida ?

This week, we have a brief discussion about how third party ad networks affect performance on news sites before talking with Sophie Shepherd. Sophie is a Senior Designer at Ushahidi, a non-profit software company that develops free and open-source products for information collection, visualization, and interactive mapping. We discussed the challenges of designing for international users with minimal data speed, how Ushahidi brings data and information to regions with nearly no connection, designing with task completion in mind, and more. ##Show Links: Sophie Shepherd Follow Sophie on Twitter Ushahidi Lara Hogan - A List Apart - Showing Performance Global Mobile Book Eric Meyer Crisis Design Rust Belt Refresh ##Transcript Katie: Welcome. You're listening to Episode 8 of The Path to Performance, the podcast dedicated to everyone to make the web faster. I am your host, Katie Kovalcin. Tim: And I'm your other host, Tim Kadlec and yeah, you nailed it; this is Episode 8. Well done! Katie: I was like, oh yeah, I totally know which episode it is. Wait: no, I don't. This is Episode 8. Tim: I mean, it's understandable; the numbers are getting higher, it's getting harder and harder. Katie: Totally out of control it's on more than one hand now! Tim: Yeah, once you've thrown that second hand, things get really complicated. It gets worse when you have to start taking off the socks and using your toes as well! That's where I always get hung up! Katie: You can wear flip-flops and then you don't have to worry about it. Tim: True, true. Katie: How are you, Tim? Tim: I'm doing OK; I'm actually wearing flip-flops right now! Yeah, I am! Katie: It's warm in Wisconsin? Tim: It is warm, for once. Yeah, I'm doing good; enjoying my day. And you? Katie: I'm good as well. The sun is shining here, which is a very rare thing in Ohio this summer and I feel like I have been whining about it for so long but today, I'm not whining. Tim: That's good! That's good! I'm guessing, we could maybe one of these times maybe we'll have an episode where we just kind of whine all the way through, but otherwise I think people probably enjoy the non-whining better. Katie: We can just have a bummer episode! Tim: Yeah, just a downer of an episode where we just air all our grievances about everything… Katie: We just talk in emo voice, just like…mwww…yeah, the web does actually kinda suuuuck… Tim: Yeah, exactly! I think this goes over well, I think this is maybe like a special Christmas edition. Katie: That is a really good idea. Tim: Right in time for the holidays. Katie: Christmas Bummer Episode! Tim: This is brilliant. That has to happen; I'm writing this down. Anyway, but glad to hear you're doing good now on this totally not Christmas at all episode. That's good. Katie: Yeah, on this summer-sunshine flip-flop fun-time episode! Tim: Yay! Katie: So, on the note of cool things, there's this episode from the Washington Post where in kind of a similar fashion, I know we talked a couple of months ago about Vox sort of declaring performance bankruptcy, Washington Post kinda did the same thing and talked about in an article the other day and that was pretty cool. They mentioned it sort of being in response to the instant articles and talking about just ads on news sites generally kind of sucky for performance, but I really liked this quite that it ended on that we have very little control over ads that load late or slowly but we wanted to make the core use experience as solid as possible because that is what we have control over and that's kind of a cool way to think about performance, just focusing on making good the core part that you do have control over. Tim: Yeah, and I think that's just generally awesome advice for anybody, because the ad work stuff comes up a lot and you have very little control over those third party ad networks and unfortunately a lot of them are super-slow right now but also essential for business but I like that they made the clear distinction between their core experience and understanding that the ads is just something you're going to have to tack on afterwards but mitigate the issues as much as possible. I think that's just really solid advice for any publisher. Katie: Yeah, absolutely. It's a nice article, it's a quick read; I recommend giving that a little skim or browse. Tim: Definitely. And then of course, Lara Hogan, who has made a habit out of writing good things over and over and over again or providing good performance advice in general, she wrote a post for A List Apart about showing performance; basically getting into some of the things she talked about way back in Episode 1 with us and also in her book about the importance of making performance visual: going into the dashboards and things like that, that they have up at Etsy and making sure that people can actually see the difference in performance. Katie: Yeah, she tweeted a little quick video a while ago and it might actually be in that article, I haven't had a chance to read it yet; it's on my to-do list but she posted a video of their video systems and it's really cool, it's really awesome to see that. Did I tell you that Lara, she talks about donuts all the time and donuts being her reward for good performance, achievements, good things like that, and when I saw Lara in New York a couple weeks ago, she took me to The Donut Spot that's in her neighborhood and I was so excited! Tim: Yeah, you told me. She's never taken me to The Donut Spot. I'm a little disappointed. I'm excited for you though: that sounds really cool. That's kind of… Katie: You know what? It was a really good donut because she says she's not a fan of the hipster donuts with a bunch of stupid toppings like cereal and candy bars and crap. Tim: Like the voodoo donuts thing in Portland? Katie: Yeah. These are just some straight-up home-town donuts in Brooklyn; I guess not really home-town but they were good! Tim: That's good. This is just like plain glazed? I want to know how far down the rabbit hole you went. Katie: We got banana…no, not banana: they were like custard-filled ones with the chocolate icing. I'm not a donut expert but those good ones! Tim: Gotcha, OK. That's a safe choice. Katie: Not the white sugary whipped cream-filled, the kind of yellowy-custard cream-filled ones; those are good ones. I don't know the distinction: is one cream and one custard? Is one icing and one cream? I don't know. Tim: I think it's usually like an icing and cream thing. Depending on where you go, it's almost like pure frosting is what it tastes like you're eating… Katie: Yeah, like you bite in and you're just like, oh my… Tim: Yeah, it's like there's frosting on the outside of the donut and frosting shoved down the inside as well and you just feel the cavities forming as you're eating them. It's great. It's a really good experience. But that's good. No, I did not…you did tell me this and that's very awesome, very cool. It's kinda like… Katie: Sorry; I'm obviously still thinking about that. Tim: I don't blame you. Katie: It was an experience. But, back to today's episode! We are talking to Sophie Shepherd and the big reason we wanted to get Sophie on here is not only because she's an awesome designer but because she has experience with working on products that are primarily used in developing countries that typically have the less than ideal device scenarios that we kind of always talk about in theory but she has some really great insight on talking a bout it in practice and actually designing for those devices and scenarios so it's going to be really interesting. Tim: Yeah, it'll be a nice fresh take, a different perspective than we usually get. Very cool. Katie: Cool. Well, let's go hear from Sophie. Katie: And we're back with Sophie Shepherd from Ushahidi. Sophie; can you tell us a little bit about Ushahidi and what exactly that is? Sophie: Sure. So, the what exactly it is, it's a Swahili word that means "Testimony". A lot of people are like, "Usha-what?" so it's not English so don't feel bad if you can't say it. And the company was founded in 2008 in Kenya so in 2008 what was happening in Kenya. there was an election that was fairly corrupt and there was quite a bit of violence broke out and some bloggers who were in Kenya and living in Kenya realized that they needed to do something to help out as well as just writing about what was happening, so they made a product in which people could submit reports of different places where the election was happening, different polling stations and this way they could say, there's been violence here, someone was killed here or this is a safe place where you can go to vote, or there's fraud happening. And what Ushahidi does is it takes all of these different reports and collects them into one place and provides a list and a map for them. So that's how it was founded; it's now a number of products but the name of our main platform is still Ushahidi and the purpose of it is still too collect data, crowd-source data. It's oftentimes gets mapped but isn't necessarily, we're re-doing the platform right now so that it's not only map data; it can really be anything that users submit. Katie: Awesome. So, spoiler alert, I know Sophie really well so I know the details of what she does and what really struck me and why I wanted to get her on the podcast so bad is because you deal a lot with users that are in places that have really poor connectivity and the products that you're designing are really crucial information that they need to get to. Can you talk a little bit about all of that and the challenges that you face when designing for that? Sophie: Sure. So, I think something that's really interesting is that it's not only poor connectivity but the kind of contexts in which people are using our products are unique. Not exclusively, but oftentimes they're used in crisis situations, so people don't have a whole lot of time. A lot of the time, the power could be down or internet could be down, so it's not only we have to think about connectivity but also ways that people are submitting information. This has been the first project I've worked on where it's not just, when we talk about performance, it's not just people needing to load something fast but it's about access and accessibility so, built into our product is people can anonymously text stuff in and that'll become a part of our system so it's really thinking about this whole ecosystem of access and ways of submitting information rather than just a website. Katie: Can you talk a little bit about what that means exactly, more than just a website? How else are you working around those connectivity and accessibility issues? Sophie: Yes, well, Ushahidi as a whole, not only with our platform but we have a lot of other companies that have spun out from the product itself, so there's a company Brick which is really, really awesome. It was founded by someone who was also a founder in Ushahidi and they make wifi devices that are super-rugged; they work off 3G connections so you can take those anywhere. We were in Kenya and they have all these attachments so it can be solar-powered wifi, so we had a group meeting in Kenya and we were all accessing the internet in the middle of nowhere on a beach from this device we had. So, it's thinking more about getting people information. Similarly we do a lot with SMS so if someone only has a phone they can text in a report or receive a response saying, OK, this has been confirmed, through their phone. Tim: This is fascinating stuff. I always think it's very interesting to hear the perspective outside of what we're used to in the little bubble that we get to live in here in the United States tech industry. This is taking everything in terms of the importance of building something that is going to work on different devices and the importance of building something that's going to perform well and this is really scaling up the importance of doing that, the vitality of doing that from just business metrics to, like you're saying, people's lives at stake in some of these cases. I'm curious; you mentioned being in Kenya and using those devices to get access. You can't obviously develop all the time in Kenya, so how are you finding ways to get that experience here, when you're building stuff from the United States so that you're feeling what it's going to be like on those, a 2G or a 3G connection or whatever it happens to be? Sophie: It's definitely a challenge for me because not only am I working every day on a really good connection but I've never really not had that; maybe five years ago my connection was not as good as it was now but I think I've always been as far as connection speeds in the one per cent, but we have a really great user advocacy team at Ushahidi so this is not only thinking about performance and website metrics, but we have a whole team that is dedicated to making sure that our users are satisfied, listening to what their needs are and responding in that way and also helping them, because this is a product that then gets extended and they can download it and set up their own deployments to use the product so we have a team that works really closely with people who are actually using it, which is terrific because we get a lot of feedback through that. Tim: I was going to say, are some of the team members in Kenya? Sophie: Uh-huh. Yeah, we have one person in Kenya, one person in Canada and then we have as part of, we have a specific user testing wing that's in Kenya but what they do is, since they are so in touch with people who use this stuff all over the world, they're good at being able to not only test it in Kenya but test it elsewhere and talk to…we have a large group using this stuff in Nepal right now because of the earthquake so they're in touch with them, checking that everything's working OK, getting any feedback from them. Katie: Do you tend to look at what specific devices the majority of users in these areas are using and start building and testing there or how does that work out? What's the size of an iPhone, that tends to be our default? What devices are you really thinking about in those areas? Sophie: It's interesting because right now, we are in the midst of re-building this product and so a lot of the people out there who are using it right now are using Version 2 which is the older version and at this point I don't even know how many years old it is but it's fairly outdated. It still works really well but it's not responsive; it's hard, we've noticed that quite a lot of people are using it on a desktop but that's only because it doesn't work very well on a phone so it'll be really interesting, we're launching the new one which is fully responsive and a lot more modern in this way to see how people end up using it. But it's tough because we can't say, iPhone users use this because it's used really everywhere in the world so maybe if it's used in the US it is going to be on an iPhone more, whereas elsewhere, it's Android but we try to cast a really wide net so there's an Android app that will be used for collecting information, you can submit by SMS. The new version's going to be totally responsive so what we try to do is not really focus on one but make sure that everyone can use it. Katie: So, you've been working on a responsive re-design and everything we've talked about has been the poor connectivity and all of that. How has performance played into those decisions when building this site or the product again for this new version? Sophie: It's a continuous consideration and process of checks and balances. One thing is that, thinking about images: part of this new system is we're able to have people submit images as part of their reports so that's something that we still have not quite figured out how we should work with how to then deliver those back to people and also thinking about different JavaScript libraries that we're using. It's a constant balance, so I think we're still figuring it out. We've done quite a bit of user-testing but more UX user-testing but the application itself is not totally done, it hasn't been built yet, so I think that's to come in terms of optimizing how it's going to work exactly. But from the design and front-end, we've definitely been keeping things really light and really the only question that we have is how we're going to treat images. Tim: Is it primarily a matter of using them or not using them or is it a degree of compression in terms of getting them to a point where maybe they're a little pixilated and ugly but they're balanced: the trade-off is that they're going to perform well on those types of networks? What are you battling with, with the images? Sophie: Well, I think basically every single image that is ever going to be on the site is going to be submitted by a user, so we don't know exactly the sizes of images that are going to come in and then at what point we are then going to compress them or shrink them and how we're going to do that and then how they're going to then be delivered back out. Yeah. Tim: So it's getting a system in place for all the user-generated content? Sophie: Exactly, yes. Tim: Gotcha. OK. Katie: So, you talk a lot about style guides and patter libraries and Sophie I know that's how you like to design and work. What is that process looking like? Do you do testing as you go on designs and see how performing it is or how fast it's loading under those different circumstances? Can you just talk a little bit about your design thinking? Sophie: Yeah. What we have been doing is we did all the UX fairly separately, thinking about just user flows and how things were going to be laid out and how things should work and then we did some visual design and then we started combining these by building the pattern library, so we took out patterns from visual design and eventually we've just started building templates and designing in the browser because we have enough of these patterns to build upon and it's been really great; this is the first time that I've worked in this way and what I really love about it is that each of our patterns and components basically stand on their own so it's really easy to look at them and understand exactly where certain weights are coming from. By designing modularly, we can pull those out rather than seeing a page as a whole and not really understand what's causing what. Tim: In a prior episode, we were talking to Jeff Lembeck of Filament Group and he mentioned what he called the "Jank Tank" which is this big box of basically ugly, horrible, slow devices. Considering how wide the net you're spreading, do you have anything similar? Is there a Ushahidi Jank Tank that you guys go to? Sophie: There isn't, but I love that idea. Tim: Yeah, I think we were fans of that too. Sophie: Is it like…what does he mean exactly? Tim: The idea was having… Sophie; …lowest common denominator kind of devices? Time: Yeah, basically grabbing cheap devices or old devices and firing those up: things that are going to be maybe a few years old and are probably going to be a huge challenge to make things feel fluid and work well on those and you have those handy to test them out and see what honestly might be a more typical user would experience than the high end stuff. Sophie: Yeah, we don't have that here in the States; I feel bad calling it a Jank Tank because that's negative-sounding, but in the office in Kenya, they have…they all work in a building and there's quite a few tech companies that work in there and they have something like a Mobile Device Lab and I think it was sponsored by a mobile company there but I was there earlier in the year and it kind of blew my mind; I put a picture of it on Twitter that we can refer to in the Speaker Notes. But that was all of these phones that were phones that I hadn't even necessarily seen, that they don't sell in the States, and they're all used for testing so at some point probably now that I'm talking about it, I'm realizing we should do it sooner rather than later, they have a whole testing lab there that we can test this product on. Tim: Nice. A mobile device lab does admittedly sound a little bit more ??? serious. Katie: Everything that you're saying sounds like, just tying in that accessibility and performance are going hand in hand and it sounds like you've just learned a great deal of empathy in your time there. Is that true and has that influenced your design? Sophie: Yeah, definitely. I think something that has really changed in my mind is thinking about when doing the design, what actions are people going to want to take, so I think that goes with performance too: if we can only load this one button that says "submit a report" and skip all of the images then that's the most important thing, so, really thinking about where to guide people and what the most important and crucial actions are before loading and everything else, so as a designer that's been definitely something that, previously I was doing client work and it was like we had this long list of requirements that we had to fit in and now it's kind of re-assessing and re-prioritizing what requirements actually are and having different levels of this is the one thing they need to really use this app and then here's all of this other helpful stuff that could be called crucial but isn't actually life or death crucial. Katie: That's really interesting. Do you think that there's any way that, for those of us still working on client projects, to have those conversations with the client to try to be like, "no, really, but the marketing video isn't truly required"; exercises in priority and stuff: do you have any tips for paring down those requirements? Sophie: I think it's tough if your talking to a marketing person because they'd be like, "no, literally I'm going to die if I don't get this on there." Katie: And you're like, "no, literally, people are on our products like…" Sophie: Yeah. I think any time it's easier to say, "does this go above this in the priority list" people are willing to answer that question rather than either or. So, in general, communicating and deciding things I would recommend ordering rather than choosing people to sacrifice things. Tim: And it seems like that's clarified too in, I would guess one of the reasons why it works so well where you are is because that task, if you're looking at what the most important thing for the user to do is, it's so very clear and so very critical whereas on maybe on a more traditional thing where you're working with marketers or whatever, they may not have as clear a sense of, what is the ultimate purpose of this site? And then it becomes a lot harder to do the prioritization without that. Sophie: Yeah; it's funny because we're in the process right now of re-designing the company site as well as re-designing the product itself and it shouldn't be, because there's no life or death, but it's so much more complicated to prioritize stuff on the company site because there's so many different types of audiences and services that it needs to provide whereas on the app itself, it's pretty clear to say, what's the most important action for someone to take. Tim: Within the new site, do you still have to take into consideration a lot of the same sort of constraints in terms of the different devices and connectivity because that's who your audience is that you're marketing to, or are you marketing to a different group through the site? Sophie: Yeah, the site will be, well that's up for debate; that's I think what we're still trying to figure out. I think by default it's a good idea to not ever say, "oh well only people in the States with nice phones are going to look at this" just because that's a dangerous attitude to have, but it's possibly less of priority for the site itself. Tim: So, going back to prioritizing performance within the actual apps and stuff that you're doing: did you have set targets that you were looking at when you were working V3 of this? Were there hard-set goals; we are not going to go over this amount of weight or we are not going to take longer than this for the map of data to appear or anything like that? Sophie: Yeah, so we set a performance budget and we've set a few of them; we set one for the front-end so what we've done is build this pattern library and we have all of our, we're calling them "weight-outs" which are basically our different views within the app itself. So we had an initial goal for that, that we've met and then we set a separate one for the build itself and that's still in process, so hopefully we can get around that target. I like this too because instead of having one end-goal we can really check as we go. Tim: Yeah, it's nice to have it broken down like that. Can we ask what the targets are, just out of curiosity? Sophie: I can look them up but I don't know them right now. Tim: That's fine. Just curious. Was it in terms of the weight or is it a different sort of, more like an experience-focused metric or anything like that, that you're targeting? Sophie: Yeah, we did a weight and a load time. Tim: Gotcha. OK. Katie: It sounds like you've worked in some of the perceived performance thinking too when you're saying, what's the critical information to load first. Sophie: Yeah, for me as a designer, that's definitely something that I can relate to more and I think in some ways it's possibly more important. I think they work as a team but… Tim: I think it is. And I think that's…I think or I hope that that's what, within the performance community, the people who really that's what they do focus on, I think that that's where everything is starting to, we're starting to wake up to that and certainly to shift towards understanding that it really is about the experience and making sure that the critical things are coming in, whatever the top task, whatever the most important features are on the page or coming in and measuring those sorts of things, instead of this blind race to the finish that we've kind of had in the past. Sophie: Yeah. I'm curious to see how that thinking changes because I love the idea of a performance budget but I think sometimes it can be a little limiting and you wouldn't want to sacrifice certain things just to fit into the performance budget. Not limiting, but I think it's very concrete whereas it should be a fairly fluid depending on context of the site itself. Tim: Sure, yeah, it doesn't dictate what goes on; it's another consideration or it's part of another piece in the puzzle. Sophie: Right. At the same time, it's the easiest way to communicate goals. Tim: True. It's hard to without it having a hard set thing, it's very hard, yeah. Sophie: Yeah, until you have the design done, you can't say, OK, our goal is that this is going to load and then this is going to load this much later. It helps to have a number that everyone can refer back to. Katie: So, when you say for everyone to communicate, who is that? Is that between you and the developers? Is this something that your leadership is really that's close to their heart as well? Sophie: Yeah, I think when I said that it was more coming from my experience with client work, where you're using this number as a kind of tactic to force a client to decide on certain things. For us, since we're all working internally, I think definitely any…basically, everyone wants to see it be as fast as it possibly can, so we're all working towards the same thing. Katie: Is there ever a push-back to even like, "OK, now that we've hit that, let's try another goal that's even faster"? Sophie: Not yet, because we haven't launched it, but I wouldn't be surprised if we launch it and get certain feedback that it wasn't loading or it wasn't working quite right on something. I'm really curious to see once it's out there and people are using it, how people respond. Katie: Yeah, I'm really curious to see what metrics you find out from that. Tim: Did you make a distinction…there's the cutting the mustard approach that the BBC popularized which is the core experience goes to maybe older, less capable browsers/devices and the enhanced experience goes to everybody else. One of the things that that fails at, or that doesn't take into consideration which seems like it would be really important for Ushahidi is the situation where you have somebody is on a very nice device but the connectivity is really awful. Did you have to make any distinction between different experiences or do you just have one experience and that experience itself is extremely lightweight, no matter what the scenario is? Was that enough for you to accomplish or you needed to do? Sophie: Yeah, that's funny; we had our company retreat in Kenya so it was I think maybe about half, maybe a little less of our company is in the US so we all went there with our snazzy iPhones and still couldn't connect to anything and it really, I think in terms of empathy, made us realize: oh, wait a second. But in terms of yeah, I think we're just going to try to make it fast for everyone. We don't have a whole lot of enhancements for people on quicker systems yet. Katie: When you were in Kenya, were there any things that were especially awful to try to load, like you're used to just being part of your everyday life? I'm just curious. Sophie: I remember reading Twitter, on the Twitter app and everything loaded except for the pictures and it made you realize just how often people supplement their tweets with pictures; I remember getting really frustrated about it. Katie: That's interesting. Sophie: But I didn't even really try to do a lot of stuff because it really didn't look very well. Same thing on Instagram; it's like sometimes this progressive loading thing; I would rather it not load at all than, oh, I see all of these people posted great pictures that I can't look at. I'd rather not know than… Katie: Or like the tweets having fomo, oh, you had a joke and I can't see the punch-line! Sophie: Exactly! Katie: That's really interesting because when we're just designing here in a bubble it's like, "well I think that would be fine for you to just know that it's there but not see it" but then when you're actually using it, you're like: no, this sucks. Sophie: Yeah, it's like actively frustrating. Tim: How often do you get to Kenya? Sophie: I'm new to the company; I've only been here since the beginning of the year but I think they do a retreat every year but not necessarily always in Kenya; I think every other year it's in Kenya. And I think other people on the team, it depends, we'll do these what we call Hit Team Meetings because everyone is remote and then mini-teams will get together and all work together for a week so those have been all over the place since people live on opposite ends of the world, depending on who's meeting they usually choose a place that is fairly central for everyone to get to. Katie: We'll start to have a list of sites, Sophie, how much is this really crappy, wherever you end up going… Sophie: How long does this take? Katie: Look it up and tell me how much it sucks. Sophie: It is cool to have people on the team everywhere for that reason. Tim: Sure, I bet that gives you a really nice overall picture of a whole bunch of different landscapes from a technical perspective. Sophie: Yeah. Katie: I know, I didn't prepare a list of questions like I should have! Tim: It's all right, I'm actually having a lot of fun just going off the cuff on this, knowing almost nothing. I did a little bit of research and I had heard of Ushahidi from this big fat book about mobile on a global scale that was put out a couple of years ago. Sophie: That's cool. What was that book? Tim: It's called Global Mobile. It's six hundred pages and each chapter is written by a different author on a different topic and I think Ushahidi came up twice… Sophie: Oh, that's awesome. Tim: …in the book. Sophie: Do you know what they referenced or what it was…. Tim: One was just talking about how…I don't remember one of the references in much detail. The other one I know that they were talking about a variety of different mobile technological solutions that were out there; I think they were focused primarily on Africa in that chapter or similar areas and they were talking about the different services that are making use of technologies that we might consider a little bit more simple, but they're doing really powerful things with it and so I think that they were focused on the SMS aspect, if I remember right. Sophie: Yeah, it's been definitely challenging, but also interesting that designing a product that is not used for one specific thing; it's very much user-focused and people will download it and decide how they use it, so it's been a challenge to design for that and to keep it well designed but also really, really flexible. Tim: Which is why I guess it's so important I guess that you are getting a chance to experience at least a little bit every once in a while because everybody talks about front-end design perspective, from a development perspective, how important it is to put yourself in your user's shoes and when you're talking about what Ushahidi is dealing with, and it's not just the devices or the browser or the connections: it's the situations; it's just so hard. It's so hard to put yourself in those sorts of shoes and understand what it must feel like to use the application or the site in those sorts of scenarios; that's such a huge challenge. Sophie: Yeah, there's no way that, well it sounds selfish saying it, but hopefully there's no way I would ever actually be able to experience that but I think that is why we have such a strong and valuable user advocacy team so that they can really communicate with them when people are in those situations and as they're using it in those situations. Tim: Do you get feedback from the users that are pertaining directly to things like how quickly they're able to report something or how quickly they're able to get access to the data that's been reported, in terms of it takes too long sort of a thing, not just a usability thing but from a performance perspective? Sophie: We haven't. Or not that I know of. Tim: Well, maybe that means you're doing an awesome job! Sophie: We'll see. It's also tough because the new version is yet to be used on a wide…by a lot of people, so we'll see, but it is great because we have the product is also open source, so we have a lot of community submissions and ideas so this is again the first time I've worked on something like that where I'll just be in my normal task list that we use internally as a team and I will get one from…I'm in Katmandu and this thing is not working; can you add this? So it is really cool to see that people care about improving the product. Tim: That's awesome. Katie: Is there anything that you've learned from going through this process and being hit with all of these pretty heavy design constraints that are just, oh man, there's no way I can ignore that. Has that changed your view on design, even outside of this product in particular? Sophie: I think that this has, compared to how I used to design, I'm keeping things a lot more simple, not even necessarily visually; visually as well but also just in how they work and not trying to dictate how something should work. Oftentimes we'll, with other people in my design team or sometimes with our developers, we'll discuss how something, spend hours doing flows and then just realizing, why don't we just let people do what they want to do and take a step back and not define so much how this should be used, so I think just the fact that so many different people are using it for different ways, I've found that it's often best to leave things open and then to not over-complicate them. Katie: Is that kind of freeing? Sophie: Errr….it's been difficult because I'm so used to not being like that. But yeah, kind of. For me as a designer it's been kind of hard to let go of control. Katie: Yeah, that's usually I think our downfall as designers is wanting to control everything and that's kind of a big part about embracing performance too: it just sounds boring to design for performance, even though it's not and it's just like anything else. Sophie: Yeah, I think that I talked to ??? about this a long, long time ago and I remember it's stuck with me in terms of performance but also it's kind of user advocacy side of design, which is that it's not in conflict with the design; you shouldn't think of performance as taking away from visual design but it's just a piece of design so it's just another aspect of UX and if it loads faster, then that'll make the design better. Katie; It means you did your job well! Sophie. Yeah, exactly. Tim: At the end of the day it's about, especially in your case, but at the end of the day it's really about how quickly can the people using the site or the application get the task done that they came to the site to do and so that makes performance comes right up front and center along with any other bit of the process really, information architecture, clear content structure and good visual design; it all contributes. Sophie: That's what design is, right? Getting people to be able to do what they want as easily as possible. Katie: Is this something that you were thinking about before having these experiences in these other parts of the world, or was that the eye-opener of, oh-whoa, my designs should encapsulate this? Sophie: Yeah, I think it's always something theoretically that I could be like, your designs have to load really fast, of course, but selfishly I've always wanted them to look really cool or try out some latest thing that's trending on the web. So I think it's helped me step out and realize I'm not designing this for me. If I want to try something, I can just do it on my own site. Katie: So, I'm wondering if that's maybe the first step for designers that are not wanting to think about it… Sophie: Make them design something for someone in crisis. Katie: Yeah! Sophie: At an agency, every junior designer has to design for… Tim: Oh man! Sophie: …life or death situations. Katie: It's part of the interview process, you need to whiteboard a crisis design. Sophie: Yeah! Tim: Talk about no pressure right off the gate, that's what you're dealing with! Sophie: Have either of you seen Eric Meyer's presentation? Tim: I have not, but I've heard it's excellent. Sophie: I really want to. Katie: I want to see it as well. Sophie: It sounds really… Katie: Everything you are talking about is making we think of that. Sophie: I would really, really love to hear, I don't know if he would…he could be a good guest on the podcast just to talk about his experience. Tim: Yeah, I'd love to talk to Eric. I've heard the presentation is just fantastic but I haven't had a chance to catch it live. I don't know if it's recorded or not anywhere but if so, I haven't seen it. Katie; I think if any of you want come hang out in Ohio, I believe I would have to double-check, but I think he's giving that Rustbelt Refresh in Cleveland in September. Tim: I do like that conference. I did that last year, it's a lot of fun. Katie: So, you want to come hang out in Ohio and see it? Tim: Sunny Cleveland! Katie: Where the lake caught on fire! Sophie: Oh my God! Tim: I don't think I heard this. Katie; I think it was before I ever lived in Ohio, ten or so years ago. It may have been the river, it may have been the lake, I can't remember. One of them was so polluted that it caught on fire at some point. (45:11) Tim: That sounds a lovely! Sophie: That's terrifying! Tim: My only knowledge of Cleveland, which I think is probably upsetting and insulting to all people who live in Cleveland… Katie: Drew Carey Tim: Yep. So, I apologize for that! Sophie: I've been to Cleveland; I spent two weeks in Cleveland. Katie: What? Sophie: I was going through, you know, being young and wanting to work for Obama during the election but even then, I don't know what's in Cleveland, even after spending time there. Katie: I have been to Cleveland twice and I don't know. I live two hours from it; I couldn't tell you what's in Cleveland. Sophie: Really cheap houses if I remember; lots of empty, cheap houses! Katie: One time I tried out to be on The Price is Right this is when Drew Carey was the host and because I am really bad at being like, wooow, cookie-crazy person to be on The Price is Right, they interview every person that goes through the process and like, "why should we pick you?" and my only response was just like, "I'm from Ohio. Just like Drew. Cleveland Rocks, right?" Sophie: Certainly good for TV. Katie: Yeah, well, we'll talk about Ohio. Obviously I did not make it! Tim: That's sad! Sophie: There's still hope; you could try again. Tim: Don't give up on that. Katie: No, that was actually…. Sophie: Don't give up on your dreams. Tim: No, you've got to follow through. Katie: That was horrific; you're just like cattle being herded for six hours through this line as they interview every single person that goes in the thing, so if you're ever in LA and thinking, it would be fun to go on The Price is Right: it's not. Sophie: Think again! Katie: Sophie, you never did that when you lived there? Sophie: A lot of people I knew did. Katie: Did anyone ever get picked? Sophie: They did it…I grew up in LA and they filmed Jeopardy I think right next to my High School and they would do it as a fundraising thing where you would…they'd get a group things of tickets to Jeopardy and then the cheerleading squad or whoever would try to sell them individually. Katie: Whoa! Sophie: That's the closest I've gotten. Katie: Growing up in LA sounds wildly different from anywhere else! Was it? Sophie: We didn't have any lakes that lit on fire! Katie: Wasn't your High School the one from Grease? Sophie: Yep! Katie: Oh man. Sophie: And Party of Five. Is that what that show was called? Katie: Yeah. Tim: That's kinda cool. Katie: I'm more interested in Rydell High though. Sophie: I think they filmed it in partially different schools but the stadium was our stadium. Katie: The track where Danny's trying to be a jock and running around? Sophie: Yeah, yeah. Katie: Aw man, that's the worst part when Danny's trying to be a jock! Sophie: Wonder Years. Wonder Years, that's the block I grew up on. Katie: Really? Sophie: Yep. Katie: Dang, you have Wonder Years, Alison has Dawson's Creek. Sophie: Dawson's Creek. Way before my time. Katie: I want to grow up on a teen drama! Sophie: The Yellow Brick Road was also the street, from the Wizard of Oz. Tim: Where was the Yellow Brick Road? Sophie: Before the houses were built, they filmed it on the street that my house was on. Tim: What? Sophie: And then years later, they had a reunion for all of the oompa-loompas that I accidentally walked on and I was sort of….what? Katie: Were they dressed up? Sophie: No. Tim: Wait, wait, wait…you just said oompa-loompas, but isn't that…that's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, right? Sophie: Not oompa-loompas. Munchkins! The Munchkins! Tim: I was like, wait a minute… Katie: Glad you got that 'cos I didn't! Sophie: I didn't either, I was like, this sounds right. Tim: Yeah, OK, I just wanted to clarify which movie it was. Sophie: Can we cut this out? We're going to get complaints from Little People of America organization. Tim: Yeah, that's fine. Actually we could use a few complaints. We haven't got many or any yet. Katie: Thanks for bringing it up. Now we're going to….well, if you're looking for feedback, let me tell you...you can lay off the chit-chat. Tim: We've gotten plenty, plenty of negative feedback and complaints so please don't bother sending those emails or letters. There, that should… Katie: I'm going to write you a strongly worded letter about your podcast! Tim: It happens. Sophie: This really went off the rails! Tim: It did, but you know what? That's cool. That's all right. I feel like… (50:03) Katie: It was getting really heavy, so you know we to lighten it up. Tim: It was, we had to lighten it up and I feel like it's kind of weird that we had gone this far without talking about Drew Carey so, you know, however many episodes we're into this and Drew Carey had never come up; seems wrong. Katie: Really? Sophie: Give us some Drew Carey facts, Katie! Katie: Actually, well I don't know any Drew Carey facts but I'm sure Tim has lots because that seems like that's your era of TV. Tim: I'm not that old, all right? Katie: Yeah, but Everybody Loves Raymond, you'll never… Tim: Yeah, I actually had…. Sophie: Are you Everybody? Tim: No, no. Am I? Sophie: Do you love Raymond? Tim: I do love Raymond; I do. It was a good show, all right? It was a good show. Under-appreciated by the current generation! Sophie: It was the most popular show ever at the time. Tim: It was really popular; really popular. Sophie: Did you just watch it on multiple TVs over and over again to up the ratings? Tim: Errr…. Katie: He had it going on every TV in the house, the whole day and night! Sophie: The syndication too so they're getting those checks, all from Tim! Katie: Tim loves Raymond! Sophie: New TV show! Tim: All right, all right; neither one of you are ever invited back on this podcast; even you, Katie. That's it, that's the end of it. I'm going to go start my own podcast where we're going to talk about Everybody Loves Raymond and The Drew Carey Show and things like that. Katie: Indiana Jones Tim: Indiana Jones, yep. This really did get off the rails. My gosh! Sophie: Yeah, feel weird going back to talking about crisis. Tim: So, well, you know, maybe we don't, there was a lot of really good, like Katie said, it was getting really serious and really awesome discussion, I think, around performance and it was really cool to hear somebody who is coming at it from that global perspective which, it's just not something that we commonly think about a lot, for most of us aren't dealing with on a day to day basis, so it's really interesting to have somebody come in and burst the bubble a little bit and give us a broader perspective. Katie: Yeah, it's great because I think like you said, Sophie, earlier: in theory everybody's like, it's nice and stuff and obviously we talk a lot about performance and everything and it's one of those things that I think everybody is like, yeah, yeah, in theory yeah, we want it to be fast because we don't want to be shamed by Twitter, but… Sophie: Other web designers! Katie: Yeah, basically. So it's great for you to come in here and give us the perspective of what that actually means and hopefully shed some light on that empathy. Sophie: Yeah, thank you for having me. Katie: Yeah, thank you so much for joining us. Tim: Going forward, it anybody wants to follow along and hear more about what Ushahidi's doing or about what you're doing, how do they do that? Sophie: For Ushahidi, I would recommend following Ushahidi on Twitter, ushahidi.com for a lot of information about all their different products and blogposts and then for me, my website is sophieshepherd.com Tim: Very cool. Katie: What about any social media that you may have because, I might be biased, but I think Sophie you have a pretty good account that's pretty funny! Sophie: My Twitter unfortunately is sophshepherd, because there's a British teenager named Sophie Shepherd who took that from me. So, don't follow her unless you want to hear a lot of complaining about tests and boyfriends. Katie: Do you follow her? Sophie: Occasionally! Then I get too mad about it and then I think, what if they think it's me? Katie: Is she also blonde and kind of looks like you? Sophie: Yeah, I've sent her a message; she does kind of. I sent her a message on Facebook once and she went, what are you freak? And then that was it. Katie; Really? Sophie: Yep. Katie: She called you a freak? Sophie: Yeah. I'll put a screenshot in our speaker notes! Katie: OK, well follow the real Sophie Shepherd then. Sophie: Yep. Tim: Well, thank you and we'll definitely have to have you on again to discuss because I feel like there's a lot more we could get into in terms of Drew Carey and Ray Romano, so in a future episode. Katie: You can do that on your separate…Everyone Loves Ray. Tim: And Tim Loves Raymond. Yeah, that's good. It'll be the initial episode. Sophie:: Tim and Ray. All right. Thanks. Bye. Tim: Thanks; bye. Katie: Thanks. Bye. Tim: Thank you for listening to this episode of The Path to Performance podcast. You can subscribe to the podcast through iTunes or on our site pathtoperf.com; you can also follow along on Twitter @pathtoperf. We'd love to hear what you thought so feel free to drop us a note on Twitter or leave a raving and overly kind review on iTunes. We like to read those. And if you'd like to talk about being a guest or sponsoring a future episode, feel free to email us at hello@pathtoperf.com

Leandra Cave won the Ironman World Championship and the 70.3 World Championships in 2012. Tim Don won 4 triathlon World Titles and competed in 3 Olympic Games. Richard Diaz asks about racing, where the sport is taking them and how they like the ride so far. Tim has a great start on the 2014 season and Leandra is hungry for another win at the Escape from Alcatraz in June. Join us for a unique and candid conversation with two world class triathletes.